


Tied Around My Finger

by gheaindiani



Series: that college au no one asked for lol [1]
Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: AU: Soulmates, Fluff, HyungWonho - Freeform, I love college AUs, M/M, Showki, a little bit of Hyungwonho later on, au: college, based on a prompt again, can you tell i like writing fluff, idk how this will end up, jk guys, so I'll tag it, the red string of fate, the showki fic that no one needs haha
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-25
Updated: 2016-07-30
Packaged: 2018-07-18 03:04:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 19,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7296940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gheaindiani/pseuds/gheaindiani
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Whatever Hoseok did last night to Hyunwoo when he was sleeping is absolutely petty even for the blonde’s standard, Hyunwoo thinks as soon as he wakes up from his slumber. What kind of prank is Hoseok even trying to pull this time round? Last month, he put whipped cream on his hand that resulted in Hyunwoo’s face to be smeared with it. And just last week, he covered Hyunwoo’s pillow with baby talc. Today…red string on his pinky finger? <em>Really, Hoseok?</em></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> hello, tis i again. i hope you haven't gotten sick of me yet.
> 
> here is the promised fic that i mentioned earlier (if you guys remember from my last jookyun fic lol). based on a tumblr prompt again, but this time it'll be longer. this time i will put this in chapters, and will update it weekly ~~if i'm not too lazy to write lmao~~. So anticipate things from me!
> 
> anyway, i hope you will enjoy this as much as i enjoy writing it. 
> 
> english is not my first language, so i apologize in advance for any grammatical errors.
> 
> kudos and comments are very much appreciated!!

            Whatever Hoseok did last night to Hyunwoo when he was sleeping is absolutely petty even for the blonde’s standard, Hyunwoo thinks as soon as he wakes up from his slumber. What kind of prank is Hoseok even trying to pull this time round? Last month, he put whipped cream on his hand that resulted in Hyunwoo’s face to be smeared with it. And just last week, he covered Hyunwoo’s pillow with baby talc. Today…red string on his pinky finger? Really, Hoseok?

            Hyunwoo grunts as he stares at the string tied on his pinky finger. He tries to untie the knot but it’s too small and too tight to be done by hand. He takes a scissors from his desk to cut the string off his finger but to no avail. He tries and tries again, but he just can’t seem to cut the damn string off. “What does this string made of?” he asks himself. Maybe the scissors are getting dull, he thinks.

            He follows the length of the string with his eyes; from his pinky finger all the way…to beyond his closed bedroom door…? He pulls the string to see where it ends, but after a while…the string still goes on and on and _on_. Frustrated, Hyunwoo opens his bedroom door and he sees that the string still goes on – snakes around his apartment living room, to the entrance area, and…beyond his front door. _Hmm_. He opens the front door and peers his head outside, and the string still goes on…and on – there is really no end to it.

            “What are you doing up so early in the morning, Hyunwoo-ah?” Hoseok asks, standing by his bedroom door still half-asleep.

            Hyunwoo stands there annoyed, waiting for Hoseok to burst out laughing admitting the action that he has done to Hyunwoo last night.

            “Why are you looking at me like that?” Hoseok asks again, rubbing the sleepiness away from his eyes.

            Hyunwoo points to where the red string has snake its way around the apartment, “This, Hoseok!”

            Hoseok looks around the place then gives him a confused look in return, “This…what?”

            “This!” Hyunwoo puts up his pinky finger, irritated by the fact that Hoseok acts like nothing happened.

            Hoseok stares at his finger with squinting eyes. “You sprained your finger?” he asks again, “It doesn’t look swollen though.”

            “Sprained my finger? Wha- No! The string! The red string tied around my finger! I know you did it!” Hyunwoo yells at the older boy, “I want it off!”

            “Yeah…I don’t see any red string around your finger, man,” Hoseok double checks Hyunwoo finger in case his sleepy eyes are fooling him. “There’s really nothing attached around your finger, let alone a red string,” he adds.

            How can Hoseok not see it? It’s literally there and everywhere! Hyunwoo sighs deeply, “Look, I don’t know what I did to you to deserve this, and I will apologize for it so please help me get this damn string off.”

            “There’s _literally_ nothing on your finger, Hyunwoo. Unless you want me to chop off your damn finger, then I’m not helping you get rid of anything,” says Hoseok, “If there’s anyone pulling a prank right now, it’s you.”

            Hoseok proceeds to go to their shared kitchen to prepare them breakfast. Hyunwoo stares at Hoseok, on the lookout for any signs that will give him away. He still can’t accept the fact that Hoseok has _nothing_ to do with this. He has to, right? There’s no one around who is able to do this kind of thing accept for Hoseok. Why won’t he just admit to it already?

            “Yah! Stop staring at me like that! You’re giving me the creeps,” shouts the older male from the kitchen. “If you’re just going to stand there, help me with breakfast!”

            Hyunwoo scratches the back of his head, still in disbelief. How can Hoseok not be bothered by the red string scattered around the room? There’s no point confronting him anymore if he’s not going to admit to it. It’s a matter to be pondered about later, Hyunwoo decides. “Yeah, sorry about that,” Hyunwoo goes to the kitchen then proceeds to help Hoseok with breakfast.

***

            For the remaining of the day, Hoseok still doesn’t acknowledge the existence of the red string, even until the time he has to go to class. At one point of the day, Hyunwoo almost warns his roommate not to trip on the string, but he remembers that the string is nonexistent to Hoseok. It looks like the string is only visible to Hyunwoo and Hyunwoo alone. “I’m going first. I’ll see you in class later,” Hoseok tells the younger before leaving. And with that, Hyunwoo is left alone to ponder about the whole situation all by himself.

            Well, it’s not like it causes Hyunwoo discomfort or anything like that, it’s just…weird that the string appeared out of thin air. He does feel a little tug every now and then, but nothing that causes him pain. He just wants to know the reason, is all.

            Hyunwoo’s phone vibrates and it reveals a KakaoTalk message from his best friend, Minhyuk.

            **minmung.iee:** hoseok told me u kept going on and on about a red string on your finger?

            **minmung.iee:**????

            **minmung.iee:** hoseok sounded disturbed he thought ur being delusional man

            **minmung.iee:** should i be worried or smth??

            Hyunwoo chuckles at Minhyuk’s messages, him being worried and all. Minhyuk rarely gets worried when it comes to Hyunwoo’s wellbeing. That boy has too much faith in Hyunwoo, but he does care about Hyunwoo. But probably the fact that Hoseok is actually slightly unnerved about this whole thing, surprises Hyunwoo the most. Hoseok sometimes gives the cold shoulder towards Hyunwoo’s businesses (trying hard not to get attached because he is secretly the sensitive one among the group). But Hoseok does care; in his own way.

            **hyunwoo.appa:** nah

            **hyunwoo.appa:** all good

            **hyunwoo.appa:** probably the cold meds i took last night lol

            He still can’t tell Minhyuk the truth, at least not until he gets some answers to whatever this whole thing is supposed to be. Although, it would be nice to shed some light on this issue. Hyunwoo makes a mental note to ask Minhyuk about it later on.

            **minmung.iee:** ok then great

            **minmung.iee:** ur coming to class right??

            **yunwoo.appa:** yeah why?

            **minmung.iee:** class is in like an hour

            **minmung.iee:** pls don’t be late again

            **hyunwoo.appa:** oh shit ur right

            **hyunwoo.appa:** i’ll be right there

            **minmung.iee:** lmao see u hyunwoo appa~~

            Hyunwoo quickly gets ready for class. He takes a quick shower, brushes his teeth, and gets himself dressed, then he grabs his backpack. He proceeds to the entrance area to put on his shoes when he spots the red string again. He almost forgot that the thing exists. Well no time to deal with it now, if he doesn’t leave now he will be late for class again.

            “Are you kidding me right now?” Hyunwoo frustratingly whispers to himself when he notices the familiar red string stretches as far as his eyes could see. This doesn’t sit right with Hyunwoo; not only he has to deal with this at home, but he also has to deal with it basically _anywhere else_. At this point, he gives up. There’s no point on dwelling about it anymore. From this point on, he’s going to need to get used to it.

            But there is one thing he notices about the string: When Hyunwoo walks in the direction of the red string, it seems to reduce in length. Does that mean when he follows the string, he’s getting closer to whatever it is at the other end of it? Hyunwoo looks behind to where he came from before, and he’s assumption is confirmed; the red string doesn’t leave behind a trail anymore.

            He stares at the trail of red string in front of him for a moment. “I’m gonna follow it,” he says to himself after a while; thoughts of being late for class again are thrown out of the window. There’s really nothing to lose (Hyunwoo hopes so), and besides what’s the worst that could happen to him, right? And so, he follows it.

            Hyunwoo follows and follows where the red string leads him to. He can feel that whatever is attached to the end of this string is near, and Hyunwoo is getting close. Though, he would never thought that he is being led to a place so near to him – a place so familiar: His own university campus.

            He enters the gate of the campus perimeter, ignoring his surroundings. He hears his name being called by a familiar voice; it’s probably Hoseok. But Hyunwoo is a man on a mission right now and there’s no time to be distracted, so he keeps on walking. He follows the string inside the campus main building; up several sets of staircase and down a busy hallway. Then the string brings him to a too familiar place: His History class auditorium, the class he is supposed to be in now.

            Hyunwoo stops by the door, and he can feel his heart racing. He has so many questions that need some answering, but there’s only one that he needs to know so badly: What, or probably _who_ , will he find attached by the end of this string? Hyunwoo is getting nervous, and he starts to doubt his resolve; does he really want to find that out now? Is he even ready for the answer? But he’s here now, too far gone to turn back. _Nothing to lose, Hyunwoo-ah_ , he reminds himself.

            He hesitantly looks up to the auditorium seats and he notices several students scattered around the area. He follows the trail of red string with his eyes; it goes up the auditorium stairs and makes a right turn at the third top row. There are several people seated there, so he’s not really sure what – or who the string is leading him to.

            With a gulp, Hyunwoo follows it to that exact row of seats and slowly follows it to the end of the row where the length of the string is getting shorter and shorter as he walks down the row, and when finally the length of the string is reduced to barely a meter. There, he spots a pair of feet clad in white sneakers under of the seats. For a moment, Hyunwoo swears his heart has stopped beating and time has stopped ticking. The answer of this mystery is _finally_ seated in front of him. All he needs to do now is to look up at the person who is wearing those sneakers. But why is it so hard for him to raise his head and confront the person? Is he really not ready after all?

            “Uh…is there something wrong with my shoes?” a male voice asks him.

            Hyunwoo is startled by the sudden question directed at him. He must have made a fool out of himself for staring at a stranger’s feet for that long. Hyunwoo slowly raises his gaze to meet the stranger’s eyes, and suddenly he feels a sudden wave of emotions washes all over him. _Keep it together, Hyunwoo!_

            And there he is, the person at the other end of Hyunwoo’s red string; equally oblivious by the existence of the red string that is tied around his pinky finger, just like everybody else. Hyunwoo doesn’t know who he is, nor met him before in his life but for only God knows what reason, this is the person that the red string has led Hyunwoo to.

            A small statured male – definitely smaller than Hyunwoo – is seated in front of him, looking up at Hyunwoo with a pair of confused, beautiful, dark brown eyes. Hair a hazelnut brown that feels so soft even without Hyunwoo touching it. His skin as pale as snow and as smooth as a marble tile; there’s no complexions, flawless as flawless can be.

            “N-nothing! I-I was just…looking for my uh…” Hyunwoo stutters trying to come up with an excuse. “my pen,” he finally says.

            The other male nods understandingly, and he somehow decides to join in on the search of the nonexistent pen. He stands up from his seat to look for it on his cushion. Hyunwoo catches a whiff of the stranger’s scent: _Vanilla_ , Hyunwoo notes to himself. After looking around for a while, the other male gives an apologetic frown at Hyunwoo. “Sorry, I couldn’t find your pen,” he sadly says, “Someone has probably taken it.”

            The instant when Hyunwoo thinks of the other person ‘cute’, the alarm in his mind goes off and won’t stop blaring. Hyunwoo can feel the butterflies in his stomach and his face getting warmer. He just can’t stop himself from blushing in front of the beautiful stranger. “I-it’s fine! It’s fine,” he tells the stranger, and the stranger smiles the sweetest smile Hyunwoo has ever seen before. _Oh, heart! Don’t fail me now!_ , Hyunwoo internally cries.

            “Yah! Hyunwoo!” Hoseok calls out to him from the front of the class. He’s already seated in the second front row, together with Minhyuk and Hyungwon. Hoseok couldn’t come at a more perfect timing.

            Hyunwoo awkwardly bows to the other male before leaving to sit with his friends. He swears he can see the stranger giggles the cutest giggle ever at him from the corner of his eye.

            Hoseok smacks the back of Hyunwoo’s head when he’s finally seated next to the older male. “Why the hell did you ignore us earlier?!” Hoseok irately asks the still dazed Hyunwoo.

            Hyunwoo just lazily shrugs as a response, and Hoseok just huffs at him. Hyunwoo takes out his notebook and his pencil case before remembering his encounter with the stranger earlier. He decides to put back his pencil case inside his bag.

            “Lend me a pen,” he says to the three males.

            “What the hell? You have yours,” complains Hoseok, still bothered by the fact that Hyunwoo ignored him earlier.

            Minhyuk, being the angel among the four boys, offers Hyunwoo one of his pens. Hyunwoo gives him a thankful look and Minhyuk just smiles understandingly. Not long after that, Hyunwoo’s phone vibrates; a message from none other than Minhyuk.

            **minmung.iee:** u need to tell me EVERYTHING

            Oh, Minhyuk knows something is up alright. Hyunwoo really can’t keep anything a secret from his best friend. It’s annoying how Minhyuk can easily read him like a book. He looks at Minhyuk and gives him his famous eye smile. Minhyuk just chuckles and shakes his head.

            Hyunwoo sneaks a peek over his shoulder to the direction of the beautiful stranger. Much to his surprise, the stranger is watching him. Hyunwoo suddenly feels so self-conscious, and never in his 23 years of living in this world has he felt this self-conscious before. Suddenly every little moves his makes feel heavy, like his whole body is telling him not to screw _anything_ up. But why should he care? That guy is just another student in this class who Hyunwoo didn’t know he exist until today, and who happens to be _extremely_ good looking…oh shit.

            Hyunwoo grunts that attracts the attention of the whole class, and also _that_ person. Hyunwoo buries his head with his hands and waits for the ground to swallow him. He can feel his pinky finger tingles and the red string softly tugs at him, as if it is trying to get Hyunwoo’s attention. Hyunwoo ignores it for now, can’t bear the sight of the male.

            _What’s the worst thing that could happen to me, huh?,_ Hyunwoo chuckles to himself. _This_ is the worst thing that could happen to him, happening to him now; having a schoolgirl crush on a guy who he would have never met if it’s not because of this damn red string tied around his pinky finger. On second thought, maybe this red string is not much of an annoyance after all. This can actually be a blessing in disguise, putting aside the fact that it also sort of made a fool out of Hyunwoo.

            _Oh, God…what did I do to deserve this?_


	2. Two.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> in which Hyungwon and Hoseok are so _obviously_ in love but are so _oblivious_ to it
> 
> hello hello! another update! did you wait long for this? i hope not haha.  
> anyway, i wanted to thank you all for the kudos and lovely comments! never though people would read and like this hehe. this chapter felt...awkward for me to write but i hope you'll enjoy it.
> 
> again, thanks for reading! kudos and comments are much appreciated!!

Yoo Kihyun, that’s his name. Hyunwoo caught him answering to the lecturer when she did the class roll call. Never in his life has Hyunwoo felt so happy hearing someone else’s name being called; to finally put a name to a beautiful face.

            “What’s with the sudden change of mood, man?” Hyungwon asks him curiously after the lecturer dismissed the class.

            Hyunwoo just hums and smiles at Hyungwon that prompts the other to snicker at him. Hyunwoo feels a tap on his shoulder then turns around to find Kihyun standing behind him with a smile.

            “I hope you’ll find your pen soon, Hyunwoo,” he sheepishly says to him. With a quick bow, he leaves the auditorium. Hyunwoo’s heart leaps by the sound Kihyun makes when he mentions his name; his name sounds beautiful when Kihyun says it.

            Hyunwoo stares at Kihyun as he gracefully leaves the auditorium, and he watches as the red string grows in length as Kihyun goes further away from him. Hyunwoo rests his chin on top of his wrist and gives a deep sigh.

            “Ah, so you’ve met Kihyun,” says Minhyuk, draping his hand over Hyunwoo’s shoulders.

            “He’s pretty cute,” adds Hoseok. Hyungwon playfully gives Hoseok a sinister look.

            “No wonder Hyunwoo is so fixated at him,” adds Hyungwon with a chuckle, “I see why he’s attracted at this Kihyun person.”

            Hyunwoo shoots Hyungwon a look then sighs deeply. He’s not in the mood to argue right now, so he lets this one go. “Let’s go eat. I’m hungry,” he tells his friends.

            His three friends get up of their seats then follow Hyunwoo out of the door. He spots Kihyun in the corridor by one of the large windows talking and laughing with two other males. Kihyun notices Hyunwoo in the midst of his conversation. He gives Hyunwoo a gentle smile before he leaves with the two guys.

            Hyunwoo stands there in silence, savoring the moment until Kihyun is completely out of his sight. He suddenly feels warmth spreading all over his body; a good kind of warmth, the kind that you get when you go out on a sunny afternoon right after a gloomy morning. Hyunwoo finds himself craving more and more of Kihyun’s smile.

            The next thing Hyunwoo knows, he is being dragged to the cafeteria by Minhyuk after Hoseok complained that Hyunwoo was not being fast enough. The red string tugs at his finger again. Instead of getting annoyed by it, Hyunwoo smiles at it this time. That probably means he’s going to see Kihyun again later.

***

            “I’m asking hypothetically here,” Hyunwoo starts speaking as he finishes the last of his food. “What would you guys do if you’re – uh physically connected with someone?” he asks the three boys.

The three of them exchange questioning look at each other before looking at Hyunwoo. “What do you mean by that?” Hoseok asks him in return.

            “You know like…” Hyunwoo pauses for a while, looking for a suitable explanation. “You and another person were connected by, like, a chain or a thread or…something like that,” he adds.

            There’s an awkward silent between the four males; mainly because Hoseok, Hyungwon, and Minhyuk still don’t quite get Hyunwoo’s question.

            “Like you and that person would somehow end up at the same place at the same time?” Hyunwoo adds again, “That somehow that…thing connecting you with that person is leading you towards the other.”

            This prompts the other three to nod in unison, understanding what Hyunwoo is trying to say. “So what you’re saying is that whatever you do or wherever you are, you’d somehow end up together with that person?” Hoseok reconfirms it. Hyunwoo only nods in response.

            “Wouldn’t that mean that you guys are meant for each other, like…soul mates?” asks Hyungwon. Hoseok chokes on the water that he’s drinking. Hyungwon quickly rubs his back and wipes off the wet from his chin with a tissue. Hoseok starts blushing at Hyungwon’s gesture.

            There’s a thump in Hyunwoo’s chest when he hears Hyungwon mentions the word ‘soul mate’. Is that what it is? Kihyun and Hyunwoo are…soul mates? This red string that is connecting him with Kihyun indicates that Kihyun and Hyunwoo are _destined_ to be together?

            His eyes scan the cafeteria and somehow he manages to find Kihyun’s figure in the middle of the lunch hour crowd. His finger tingles again, as if it’s trying to pull hum closer to Kihyun but he ignores it.

            Minhyuk puts his hand on Hyunwoo’s shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. “What’s with the question, Hyunwoo-ah?” Minhyuk asks him curiously.

            Hyunwoo looks at Minhyuk, then to Hyungwon and Hoseok. He sighs, “Nothing. Just something that has been on my mind.”

            The three of them know not to push it, so they accept Hyunwoo’s answer for now. He’ll let them know when he’s ready. “Alright then. Hyungwon and I are going to our next class,” says Hoseok as he stands up and takes his food tray, and Hyungwon follows suit. After they say their goodbyes, they left. Hyungwon links their arms together as they leave the cafeteria. Hoseok gives Hyungwon a loving look then brushes his hand on the other’s cheek. Hyungwon gleefully smiles as they walk away.

            “Gosh, they’re so _obvious_ ,” Minhyuk sighs exasperatedly at the sight of his two friends, “Lord, please just help them out.”

            Hyunwoo laughs at Minhyuk’s statement. Hyungwon and Hoseok are in love with each other. That’s a given fact and also a known secret between the group; Hyunwoo and Minhyuk know that the two males are _in love_ with each other because they both have told Hyunwoo and Minhyuk respectively, they just never tell each other. They have been in love with each other ever since they entered college. And ever since then, neither Hyungwon nor Hoseok have the guts to tell each other their true feelings. It’s making Hyunwoo and Minhyuk (mostly Minhyuk) frustrated at the very obvious sexual tension between the two.

            “Do you think they’re physically connected, Hyunwoo?” the platinum blond asks him as he watches Hyunwon and Hoseok disappear from their view.

            Hyunwoo just laughs in response. The both of them know exactly the answer to that. At this point, no one could really picture Hyungwon and Hoseok without each other. Seeing them together is just so…natural; a part of life itself.

            “So…what’s been bothering you, Hyunwoo?” asks Minhyuk curiously.

            Hyunwoo contemplates on whether he should tell Minhyuk about the red string that is connecting Hyunwoo and Kihyun together. Well, he should really tell Minhyuk since they’re best friends. But how will Minhyuk take this? Will Minhyuk believe him? It’s already very hard for Hyunwoo to accept this, what will Minhyuk think about this? _You need to trust your best friend a little more, Hyunwoo._

            “Say…how did you know Kihyun?” Hyunwoo asks Minhyuk, trying not to sound suspicious.

            Minhyuk chuckles, knowing well the direction of this conversation. “He’s in two of my classes. Why?” Minhyuk teases him.

            “What’s he like? I mean…in class,” Hyunwoo continues.

            Minhyuk gives him a belittling look, “You’ve been in this class for almost two months now, and you still don’t know how he’s like in class? Unbelievable.”

            Hyunwoo rolls his eyes at him. “Please just spare me this time, Minhyuk ah…” Minhyuk only laughs at him. He enjoys teasing Hyunwoo like this.

            “Well…he’s attentive,” answers Minhyuk, “and very observant. He’s the type that doesn’t ask stupid questions and knows exactly what he doesn’t know. The kid is pretty smart.” Minhyuk thinks for a moment, then adds, “He’s almost always alone in class, never really talks either. He doesn’t really mingle with anyone in particular, except for two guys. I think they’re underclassmen”

            Hyunwoo processes the information that Minhyuk has given him. There are so many things he wants to know about Kihyun, and this is a good place to start. Hyunwoo unconsciously starts smiling at the thought, and Minhyuk rolls his eyes at him.

            “I’m surprised it took you this long to notice him,” says Minhyuk, distracting Hyunwoo’s train of thoughts, “What’s with the sudden interest for the boy?”

            Hyunwoo hesitates at from telling his best friend about the string, worried that Minhyuk will laugh at him and eventually ruin his pride. But then again, this is Minhyuk, his best friend. He can trust Minhyuk, right?

“There’s an invisible red string that connects me and Kihyun,” Hyunwoo finally tells him.

            Minhyuk stares at him questioningly. He raises his eyebrows encouraging Hyunwoo to continue.

            “Like what I said. There’s an invisible red string that connects me and Kihyun,” Hyunwoo repeats himself, getting embarrassed more and more.

             “That explains your earlier question,” Minhyuk mutters, mostly at himself.

Hyunwoo is getting flustered, scared that the blond male will start laughing at him and telling him that he’s delusional. “I first thought it was one of Hoseok’s stupid pranks – I mean you know him right? But he said he couldn’t see it…” explains Hyunwoo quickly, then he nervously chuckles.

Minhyuk looks up and Hyunwoo and down, examining his body to look for a strand of red string. He asks when he doesn’t find anything, “So…if it’s invisible, how can you know there’s one?”

            “Because I’m the only one who can see it,” answers Hyunwoo, “And for some God forsaken reason, no one else can see it. It’s _everywhere_. And it always – _always_ leads me back to Kihyun!” Hyunwoo buries his face in his palms and sighs deeply, he can feel his body trembling, “I think I’m going crazy, Minhyuk-ah.”

            Minhyuk is silent for a while, ignoring his distressed best friend. Minhyuk is on his phone, tapping on its screen and scrolling through something. “Yah! What are you doing? A word of encouragement will be appropriate right now!” Hyunwoo exclaims in annoyance.

            After a moment, the platinum blond breathes out an ‘ah’. “I think I’ve found what it means,” he tells Hyunwoo, “I’m surprised you didn’t google it already, man.”

            “Never thought I’d find it there, really. Knowing I’m the only one who can see it,” says Hyunwoo, mentally slapping himself for not doing the _obvious_. “So, what is it?”

            “The red string of fate…hmm, interesting,” Minhyuk continues reading, “It says here ‘according to this myth, everyone’s pinky finger is tied to an invisible red string that will lead him or her to another person with –‘ oh,” Minhyuk gasps without finishing his sentence.

            “W-what?” Hyunwoo asks nervously. It is really _that_ bad?

            “ – with whom they will make…history,” continues Minhyuk. He turns to look at Kihyun who is still at the other table talking with his two companions. Minhyuk starts giggling, turns to look at Hyunwoo sheepishly.

            “Why are you laughing for?” Hyunwoo asks worriedly.

            Minhyuk just shakes his head then puts his hand on Hyunwoo’s shoulder. “Go make history with him, Hyunwoo-ah,” Minhyuk simply says with a wink. “Now, let’s go to class before he finds out you’ve been staring at him again.”

            Hyunwoo never realizes that his eyes have made their way to Kihyun’s direction and as soon as Minhyuk tells him that he quickly diverts his gaze. Minhyuk has already got up and walked to put away his food tray, and Hyunwoo quickly follows him.

            Little did Hyunwoo know, the taller male has made Kihyun so self-conscious that by the time Hyunwoo and Minhyuk leave the cafeteria, Kihyun breathes out the air that he never know he’s been keeping all this time.

            “Oh, he’s got it good,” Jooheon laughs at Kihyun. Changkyun shoots Jooheon a look and gently rubs Kihyun’s back.


	3. Three.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we will finally know what Kihyun really feels about Hyunwoo, and Minhyuk is getting _even more_ frustrated with Hyungwon and Hoseok
> 
> hello there!  
> voila~ another update ~~that you don't really need lol jk guys~~. i'm sorry if this feels a bit awkward for you to read haha because i sort of wrote it in a rush. but i do hope you will enjoy it.
> 
> and thank you for reading, for the kudos, and for the kind words!! i'm so glad that people find this story delightful haha. i hope you won't get sick of this~~
> 
> as always, comments and kudos are much appreciated!!

           “Oh my God, he’s staring at me again!” Kihyun (tries to) calmly tells his two friends when he notices that The Hot Guy With _Great_ Body In History Class – or also known as his real name Hyunwoo is staring at him _again_. It’s probably the fifth time (yes, Kihyun counts it) that Hyunwoo has stared at him today. “What should I do?”

            Jooheon and Changkyun snicker at him as Kihyun is trying so hard to keep his cool, even though all of them know that he is internally flipping tables. “Just smile at him,” suggests Jooheon teasingly.

            Kihyun, listening to Jooheon’s advice, attempts the cutest smile he can muster at Hyunwoo when he finally locks eye with the other. Hyunwoo quickly averts his gaze, ignoring Kihyun’s smiling attempt and continues whatever he’s doing. Kihyun huffs in disappointment.

            “I really can’t deal with this!” Kihyun grunts burying his face in his arms, “This is too much for me to handle!”

            “He’s finally noticed you, you should be happy!” Changkyun tries to cheer him up. “All of those secret staring from behind him and persistent wishing are finally paying off,” he adds with a playful nudge on Kihyun’s arm.

            “Who would’ve thought being passive actually yielded results,” Jooheon adds. He grins so wide, his famous dimples are showing.

            “I _did_ help him to look for his pen, okay?” Kihyun corrects them, “ _and_ wished him good luck on finding the pen.” Jooheon and Changkyun only roll their eyes in response.

            Kihyun has a _huge_ crush on Hyunwoo ever since he first laid his eyes on the tall, handsome male. The moment Hyunwoo entered the room time stopped, and the room suddenly became brighter and warmer. Nothing around him mattered anymore; Kihyun was focused on the other male like he was the center of the universe. But being the shy one, Kihyun never has the guts to strike up a conversation with him; he is content with only watching him from afar, from his seat a few rows behind from Hyunwoo’s. All this time, it’s always Kihyun watching Hyunwoo’s back – nothing more, nothing less.

            He has always felt so jealous of the three boys who always hang out with Hyunwoo. He thinks the three of them are so lucky to be able to be around someone as beautiful as Hyunwoo. He wishes he was one of them; all he wants in life is to be with Hyunwoo – nothing more, nothing less.

            Though, maybe Lady Luck is on his side today because Hyunwoo came to him and talked to him. Well, it’s only because he was looking for his pen but this was more than Kihyun bargained for. He never thought that Hyunwoo would come to him to look for his pen; he never thought Hyunwoo would even say a word to him; but Hyunwoo did, and Kihyun was over the moon.

            “I’m surprised you managed to keep your cool and didn’t turn into a puddle already,” says Jooheon, taking a sip of his iced americano, “with him never taking his eyes off you and all.”

            “Don’t remind me,” Kihyun retorts, his head still buried in his arms.

            “You really should start talking to him, hyung,” suggests Changkyun.

            “I just did –“

            “ – to get to know him better,” Changkyun adds, cutting Kihyun off before he finishes his sentence. “I mean, seriously. He looks like he might be interested in you too.”

            Kihyun laughs bitterly at the younger’s words. Hyunwoo? Interested in _him_? Preposterous! There’s no way Hyunwoo will be interested in him. Kihyun is probably the most boring, plain, uninteresting –

            “Whatever you’re thinking right now, stop,” Jooheon tells Kihyun firmly. He looks serious, a rarity from the almost always happy-go-lucky one.

            “But I didn’t –“

            “We know what you’re thinking just by the look on your face, hyung. Please, just stop it,” Changkyun adds, giving him a sad look.

            Kihyun nibbles on his bottom lip and looks down, ashamed to look up at his two best friends. “I just can’t help it,” he mutters to himself.

            Jooheon and Changkyun gently smile at him and both gently rub his back and his arm respectively. “You need to give more credits to yourself, hyung. You’re not boring, nor plain, nor uninteresting,” Changkyun tells him as he gently strokes Kihyun’s arm.

            “As cliché as this sounds, you are one of the best people Changkyun and I have ever met and we are glad to call you our friend,” Jooheon adds to Changkyun’s statement.

            Kihyun raises his head and smiles widely. Jooheon and Changkyun are the people that Kihyun definitely needs but doesn’t deserve. He is so thankful that they are in his life, and he would never trade them for anything else in this world. “The feeling is mutual.”

            “Well…” Jooheon speaks up after a moment of serene silence, “If it makes you feel better, hot guy is staring at you again.”

            Startled, Kihyun quickly glances at Hyunwoo’s direction. He attempts a smile again, but this time Hyunwoo and his platinum blond friend get up and leave the cafeteria. Kihyun frowns and sighs in defeat. His two friends just start laughing at Kihyun’s disappointment.

***

            Later that night, Hyunwoo fails terribly at falling asleep. He tosses and turns in his bed, changes his sleeping position, turns his pillow to the cool side, tosses and pulls at his blanket, but he just can’t sleep! Today has been an emotional roller coaster ride and all he wants to do is get a good night sleep so he can wake up refreshed the next day. But his brain decides that it’s a good time to _overthink_ every single thing that happened today.

            The concept of ‘soul mates’ is still so foreign to Hyunwoo. He has never dated anyone before and never really had strong feelings with anyone in the past. Okay, so he liked this girl once in high school but that didn’t end up too well for him, but that’s a story to tell for another time.

            He stares at the red string on his finger and can’t help but to wonder what Kihyun is doing right now. Does he know about the existence of the string? Is he thinking about Hyunwoo right now, just like how Hyunwoo is thinking about him? Is he aware that Hyunwoo and Kihyun are connected and are somehow destined to…make history together, based on the article Hyunwoo and Minhyuk read?

            Hyunwoo shudders at the thought – _making history together_ …what does that even mean? Is that even possible with how things are right now? Sure, Hyunwoo is _probably_ having a crush on Kihyun since he’s cute (and totally Hyunwoo’s type, oops), but is that enough to validate this whole…soul mate thing? What if – _if_ by the time they do get together, they get sick of each other and eventually things get sour between them? Hyunwoo doesn’t want that. This is silly. _Please don’t get ahead of yourself, Hyunwoo-ah_.

            He picks up his phone and looks at the time; 2:15 am. He drops his phone by his side and grunts. The voice in his head just won’t stop and he desperately needs this sleep. Probably he just needs someone to talk to. He picks up his phone again and messages Minhyuk. Minhyuk is probably asleep now but it’s worth the shot, though Hyunwoo thinks that his best friend won’t appreciate the texts he’s received when he wakes up in the morning.

            **hyunwoo.appa:** minhyukie~~

            **hyunwoo.appa:** u awake??

            **hyunwoo.appa:** most probably not but i’m gonna spam u anyway

            He waits for a few minutes just in case Minhyuk does reply. Not long after that, his phone vibrates and it shows a notification from none other than Minhyuk. Well, that was fast.

            **minmung.iee:** ah i knew u would do this so i waited up

            **minmung.iee:** didn’t want to wake up with u spamming me

            **minmung.iee:** u wanna talk?

            **minmung.iee:** wait wait just let me call u

            Hyunwoo chuckles at the messages and he waits for Minhyuk to call him. A moment after that, Minhyuk calls.

            “This better be worth it, man,” says Minhyuk as soon as Hyunwoo picks up the phone, “I will drop kick you as soon as I see you if this turns out to be a waste of my time.”

            “That depends on what you consider as ‘a waste of your time’,” Hyunwoo playfully retorts, laughing to himself.

            “Let’s see…” there’s a pause at the other end of the line. “If you’re going to talk about that red string or Kihyun again…” he continues.

            Hyunwoo snorts at his best friend, “Oh boy, you’re going to be so disappointed.”

            Minhyuk sighs deeply but Hyunwoo can hear the smile in his voice, “God damn it, Hyunwoo.” The both of them laugh at each other for a while before Minhyuk asks him, “What’s bothering you?”

            “I just…” Hyunwoo starts but doesn’t quite know how to say it, “this whole ‘soul mates’ thing has been keeping me up all night. I don’t know, I’m just…scared, I guess?”

            “Scared of what?”

            “Scared if things don’t work out with me. With Kihyun. With…us,” Hyunwoo tells him. Hyunwoo sighs and rubs his eyes, “What should I do then?”

            “You’re overthinking it, Hyunwoo,” says Minhyuk, “You’re jumping into conclusion.”

            “I know, and I can’t help it,” Hyunwoo responds. “I mean, if you’re supposed ‘soul mate’ was right there in front of you, you’d do the same.”

            Minhyuk chuckles, “That’s true.”

            “I’ve never been in this kind of position before, Hyuk-ah. I’m scared things go bad even before it starts.” For some reason, Hyunwoo’s voice begins to crack. He suddenly gets so emotional, “What if…what if the red string disappears and I’m left with nothing that would lead us back to each other?”

            “You know,” MInhyuk speaks up after a few moment of silence, “It’s okay for you to take things slow, Hyunwoo. I mean, there’s really no need to rush things. Just follow the flow and make it as natural as possible – do things at your own pace, you’ll figure things out eventually.”

            Hyunwoo doesn’t say anything. He tries to process everything that Minhyuk tells him, trying to understand what he’s trying to say.

            “So what if things don’t work out in the end? The world won’t end there,” Minhyuk adds. “What we do know is that he’s connected to _your_ string because he’s meant to be in your life, in one way or another. You guys are supposed to figure that out along the way. There’s really no reason to be worried. A soul mate isn’t always have to be a romantic partner, you know. For all we know, he could be another version of me, if that makes you feel better about things.”

            Hyunwoo smiles at Minhyuk’s words. How can he think of this more thoroughly than Hyunwoo does? Truly, without Minhyuk, Hyunwoo would’ve been stuck in the crossroads and would’ve gotten lost long, long time ago. He still feels that he doesn’t deserve Minhyuk as his best friend sometimes. He feels better already.

            “That’s true,” Hyunwoo simply replies.

            “Now, let me give you some advice,” Minhyuk tells him.

            “What?”

            “Stop overthinking and go to sleep. You need it,” says Minhyuk before he hangs up. Hyunwoo chuckles and follows Minhyuk advice. Right after the phone call, Hyunwoo falls asleep as easily as he usually does; probably, even with an added smile on his face.

            The next morning, Hyunwoo wakes up to message notifications from Minhyuk. He laughs as he reads them.

**minmung.iee:** on the other hand hoseok and hyungwon should rly get together bc i can’t stand them anymore ffs

**minmung.iee:** hyungwon just texted me about his hoseok problemssss

**minmung.iee:** is2g these two im gonna haunt them in their sleep god damn it


	4. Four.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> in which Kihyun is super flustered around Hyunwoo and Hyunwoo finds it very amusing
> 
> hello friends~~  
> here is another update. sorry if it feels short. unfortunately i was hit by a terrible writer's block...but here you go! i hope you enjoy it.
> 
> also, thank you so much for reading this! i will try my best to keep on updating it with quality chapters. if there are any suggestions for next chapters or my next story, please do let me know! it would be cool to know what you guys want to read next.
> 
> happy eid mubarak for those who celebrate! i hope you get to eat a lot of delicious food on this festive day!
> 
> comments and kudos are much appreciated~~

            “Oh my God! He’s right there!” Kihyun freaks out as soon as he spots Hyunwoo sitting alone in the student’s lounge, with his earphones on and reading a book. He starts pacing back and forth right outside the lounge. Jooheon and Changkyun only laugh at his demeanor.

            “This is your chance, hyung!” Changkyun tells him excitedly, “Go talk to him, now that he’s alone!”

            Kihyun bites his lower lip, “I…I don’t know…”

            “Oh, come on! What’s the worst that could happen?” Jooheon asks him, draping his arm over Kihyun’s shoulders.

            “The worst that could happen is me making a fool out of myself in front the guy I like,” answers Kihyun, shoulders slump down. “Let’s…let’s just leave, okay?”

            Changkyun tightly grips at Kihyun’s wrist and gives him a serious look, “We’re not going anywhere. And you’re going to talk to him.”

            Kihyun gulps, “What if I screw up…?” He takes a deep breath and exhales, “I’m scared…”

            Changkyun’s grip and look turn softer, and he smiles at his hyung. “Like I said, we’re not going anywhere. We’ll be right here,” he tells Kihyun reassuringly.

            “If he laughs at you, we’ll punch him square in the face,” Jooheon adds, grinning at him. Kihyun giggles at that and playfully punches him on his arm.

            “Alright, then. Here goes nothing,” Kihyun sighs deeply then makes his way inside the lounge.

            Time seems to have slowed down as Kihyun approaches Hyunwoo. The short walking distance becomes one of the longest journeys Kihyun has ever taken in his life. As he comes closer to where Hyunwoo is, Kihyun grows more and more nervous; his heart is pounding erratically that he can feel it thumping against his temple and his neck, and his palms are sweating profusely. He can’t even think of anything to say to Hyunwoo. Without even realizing it, Kihyun is already standing beside Hyunwoo’s chair, glazing over.

 

 

            Hyunwoo is reading a book when he feels like someone is watching him. The red string tugs lightly at his finger and he notices that the string has become shorter. He quickly glances up and sees Kihyun standing by his chair looking down at him; his face is serious like his mind is deep in thoughts. Kihyun doesn’t seem to notice that Hyunwoo is aware of his presence. Hyunwoo chuckles at the sight; he’s surprisingly happy to see Kihyun.

            Hyunwoo clears his throat and Kihyun is startled; his eyes widened and his face turns red. “Oh – uh…sorry…about that,” Kihyun mutters, avoiding eye contact.

            Hyunwoo only giggles at him and gives him a warm smile. “Why don’t you sit down?” he offers Kihyun as he puts away his stuff from the couch opposite him. Kihyun is surprised at Hyunwoo’s offer and hesitates at first, but complies anyway.

            They sit in silence for a while. Hyunwoo watches Kihyun as he squirms in his seat, jumps at the slightest movement made by Hyunwoo. Kihyun is just undeniable adorable, Hyunwoo thinks. The way his pale skin slowly turns bright red every time he catches Hyunwoo’s eyes, the way he nibbles his lower lip, the way he rubs the back of his neck, the way he sighs…Hyunwoo finds him so endearing. Hyunwoo could just watch him all day.

            “So…” Hyunwoo starts, “What’s up?”

            Kihyun stumbles for words but manages to reply him, “N-nothing much. What about you?”

            “Same here. I was just reading up on some history for my assignment,” answers Hyunwoo, “Have you started on your History assignmen, Kihyun-ah?”

            Kihyun quickly nods in response, “Yes, I have. Though, I got stuck on one part. I need to do more research.”

            “Ah, as expected from you,” Hyunwoo says with a smile. “Ah – my friend told me you’re a model student,” he quickly adds. Kihyun’s face gets even redder. He can’t believe Hyunwoo has been paying attention to him.

            “T-thanks…” is all Kihyun can muster to say.

            “Say, I was just thinking maybe…we could have coffee,” offers Hyunwoo, “and do our History assignment together…?” Hyunwoo asks him sheepishly, “If you’re or to it, I mean.”

            “Yes!” Kihyun immediately answers, half shouting. Realizing that he’s attracted the people around him, he clears his throat. “I mean, I would love to,” he adds, trying so hard not to sound too eager. The heat is rising to his face.

            Hyunwoo smiles widely, his eyes turn crescent. “That’s great!” Hyunsoo says excitedly, “Then give me your KakaoTalk ID. I’ll add you.”

            Kihyun is totally caught off guard by this; he never expected things to go this well, he didn’t prepare himself for _this_ moment. He simply nods at Hyunwoo’s request. Hyunwoo hands Kihyun his phone, and Kihyun tries to not to let go of the phone while typing his ID. _Oh God, I’m holding Hyunwoo’s phone. I think I’m gonna die_ , he internally screams.

            When Kihyun hands Hyunwoo back his phone, Hyunwoo grins, “Thanks! I’ll hit you up later, okay?”

            “Y-yes, sure,” Kihyun stutters at his own words. “Well then…I better be going. Bye…” he excuses himself gets up to leave before Hyunwoo gets a hold of Kihyun’s wrist. Kihyun’s skin burns at the touch; he might as well melt into a puddle right now.

            Upon realizing what he has done, Hyunwoo lets go of Kihyun’s wrist. “I’ll see you soon. Take care,” he says to Kihyun.

            Kihyun nods and quickly leaves the lounge. Hyunwoo can spot the red spreading across Kihyun’s face to his ears as he walks away. Hyunwoo is somehow pleased at what he sees; pleased with the fact that Kihyun is so flustered around him. Is this a good sign? A good start for whatever it is they’re going to have in the future? Hyunwoo thinks so. He continues his reading but can’t really focus on anything. Whenever he tries to concentrate on his History book, his mind starts to wonder about Kihyun again. He just gives up eventually. And for the rest of the day, he adorns a giddy smile that he just can’t get rid of. He hopes it doesn’t look too suspicious.

 

 

            Kihyun exits the lounge in a dazed; he walks out with a smile that he doesn’t notice to be present. He walks to the nearest window and stares out of it sighing lovingly at nothing in particular. The view outside seems prettier than before, or is it just Hyunwoo in his eyes?

            “How did it go?” Changkyun asks eagerly.

            “If this is a dream, don’t ever wake me up,” Kihyun simply answers, still staring out of the window.

            “Oh, this could only mean good thing,” Jooheon says teasingly.

            “He asks for my KakaoTalk ID!!” Kihyun squeals and jumps around his friends. Changkyun and Jooheon only laugh at him, equally happy at Kihyun’s achievement. This whole thing still doesn’t feel real for him. All this time, he could only _imagine_ this situation play out in his head. Whatever did he do in his past life to deserve this? But that happiness is short-lived when he realizes something.

            “No!!!” he yells at himself, the look of terror is evident in his face.

            “What?!” the two younger boys ask worriedly in unison.

            Kihyun slowly turns to face them, and whispers in horror, “ _I forgot to ask for his KakaoTalk ID.”_


	5. Five.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are starting to bloom between Hyunwoo and Kihyun, but not so much between Hoseok and Hyungwon ~~forgive me~~
> 
> here is another update~ it's a bit faster than previous chapter because i'm on a roll~~~ ayyyeeee  
> i had fun writing this chapter lol so i hope you guys will enjoy this as much as i did writing it haha.
> 
> comments and kudos are always appreciated!!

           “Well you’re in a happy mood today,” says Minhyuk suspiciously when he sits down on the couch across Hyunwoo; he’s just finished a group meeting for a class project. “What happened when I was away?” he asks.

            Hyunwoo smiles teasingly at him, wriggling his eyebrow. “Today is good day,” he replies simply.

            “Not buying it,” Minhyuk retorts. He eyes Hyunwoo up and down trying to figure out what has happened to Hyunwoo on his own, “Did you run over a child or something?”

            Hyunwoo rolls his eyes, “Don’t put me in the same shoe as Hoseok, please.”

            Minhyuk laughs at that statement and mutters a ‘true’ in between his laughter. “Lay it on me, then,” he tells Hyunwoo after he’s stopped laughing.

            “Well…” Hyunwoo starts; he can feel a smile starts to form on his lips, “I talked to Kihyun not too long ago. He uh – he sort of approached me, I guess.”

            Minhyuk’s eyes widen and he grins widely. “Ooh…” he sing-songs. He leans towards Hyunwoo and rests his chin on the back of his hand. “And then?” he asks in anticipation.

            Hyunwoo starts to blush and starts to giggle more to himself. “I sort of…asked him on a date,” he shyly replies Minhyuk, “and I got his KakaoTalk ID.” Hyunwoo covers his red face with his palms, embarrassed.

            “Oh my _God_!!!” Minhyuk squeals. He starts jumping in his seat and shakes Hyunwoo’s hand excitedly. “This could actually lead to something really good!” he says, half yelling at Hyunwoo. The people at the table next to them shush at him, but Minhyuk only glares at them.

            “Yeah, I hope so,” Hyunwoo sighs at him. “ _This_ has to start somewhere, right?” he adds as he lifts up his pinky finger. He watches as it lightly tugs at his finger; a smile spreads across his face.

            “Remember to take your time, okay?” Minhyuk reminds him, “No rush, Hyunwoo-ah.”

            “No rush,”Hyunwoo repeats Minhyuk. Munhyuk nudges him on the shoulder and gives him an encouraging smile. Minhyuk is so happy for his best friend.

            “What are you guys doing?” asks Hoseok at the two best friends, already pulling an empty chair from the next table.

            “Meanwhile, this is one guy who _really_ needs to rush it,” says Minhyuk sarcastically to himself, but loud enough for Hyunwoo and Hoseok to hear. Minhyuk’s snarky remark gets a loud laugh from Hyunwoo, while Hoseok only looks at the both of them in confusion.

***

            Kihyun could _technically_ come back to Hyunwoo’s table to ask for his KakaoTalk ID, but he didn’t. Right after that fortunate encounter with Hyunwoo, Kihyun was left emotionally drained. Whatever possessed him to approach Hyunwoo earlier today already left his body. He couldn’t muster half the courage he had before. All he wanted to do was to lie down and recharge his being.

Now, Kihyun is lying on Jooheon’s bed; on his tomach, face buried in the pillow. He gives out a tiny, muffled groan every five minutes, and low, muffled ‘whys’ in between that. The fact that he didn’t ask Hyunwoo for his KakaoTalk ID is weighing on him like a boulder of rock. He feels horrible and wishes for the world to just make him disappear already.

            “He needs to breathe too, right?” Jooheon asks in a concerned tone, as he watches the older male lie motionless on his bed.

            Changkyun just hums in response as he continues typing on his laptop. Jooheon cautiously pokes Kihyun’s side but he doesn’t react to it at all. Jooheon watches the up and down motion of Kihyun’s back in case it has stopped; checking if Kihyun is still alive.

            Kihyun turns to lie on his back all of a sudden that startled the already faint-hearted Jooheon – who almost jumps off his seat at the sudden movement. Changkyun only shakes his head as he glances at Jooheon and continues typing.

            “I’m so stupid,” Kihyun mumbles to himself as he stares at the ceiling.

            “Hyung, it’s been four hours,” Changkyun sighs at Kihyun’s words. He turns his chair around to face the older, “I’m pretty sure he’s going to text you first.”

            “Yeah. I mean, why would he ask you for your ID if he wasn’t going to text you?” adds Jooheon, scribbling on his notebook.

            “He’s not going to text me,” Kihyun mumbles again, ignoring the two boys’ words. Changkyun and Jooheon sigh almost in unison then the both of them go back on doing their own work.

            Not long after that, Kihyun’s phone vibrates revealing a new message notification on KakaoTalk. He lazily picks up his phone and opens the message.

            **hyunwoo.appa:** hey :)

            Kihyun quickly sits up and continues reading the rest of the messages. His heart starts banging against his chest and he can feel his pupils dilate. This feels almost too real to be true.

            **hyunwoo.appa:** it’s me hyunwoo

            **hyunwoo.appa:** i stupidly waited for u to text me but i realized i didn’t give u my ID lol

            **hyunwoo.appa:** sorry abt that

            Kihyun screams at the top of his lungs. Changkyun and Jooheon quickly turn to look at him, both of them look surprised and concerned. “What happened?! Why are you screaming?!” Changkyun asks worriedly.

            “ _He texted me!!!_ ” Kihyun squeals in response. He hands the two younger boys his phone to show them the messages Hyunwoo sent him. They can only chuckle at this.

            “See? Told you he’s gonna text you,” Changkyun tells him as-a-matter-of-factly. Jooheon whistles as he reads the messages then hands Kihyun back his phone. Kihyun texts Hyunwoo back.

            **yoitsyookihyun:** and here i thought ur not gonna text at all

            **yoitsyookihyun:** omg did i sound too eager??

            Kihyun feels his face getting warmer and he smiles sheepishly at what he has sent Hyunwoo. _Very bold, Kihyun_. He sighs and waits for a reply, and surprisingly he doesn’t have to wait that long for it.

            **hyunwoo.appa:** lol not at all

            **hyunwoo.appa:** i purposely made u wait long haha

            _Oh, he’s such a tease_ , Kihyun thinks. He lies back down then types another reply for Hyunwoo.

            **yoitsyookihyun:** u meanie :(

            **hyunwoo.appa:** lol i am ;)

            Kihyun laughs at the fact that Hyunwoo adds a winky face at the end of the last message. Yoo Kihyun has never been this happy in his life before. For once, things actually go the way he has always wished for. And that thing he has always wanted – to be with Hyunwoo in whatever sense it may be – isn’t as farfetched as he originally thought to be.

***

            Hyunwoo chuckles at the last message he sent to Kihyun; never in his life has he thought of using a winky face at the end of a text message. He hopes Kihyun is not weirded out by that (Kihyun is definitely _not_ weirded out by it at the slightest, but Hyunwoo doesn’t have any idea at all). Hyunwoo is so pleased with the fact that Kihyun is more talkative in text.

            **yoitsyookihyun:** why do u do this :’(

            Hyunwoo is feeling warm and fuzzy all of the sudden; Kihyun seems to be giving him that kind of effect on him lately. He’s typing a reply for Kihyun but then he hears a soft knock on his bedroom door. “It’s not locked,” he calls out.

            Hoseok’s head peers out from behind the door; he looks worried. “Uh, hey,” he quietly greets Hyunwoo.

            “Hey, Hoseok,” Hyunwoo greets him back.

            “Can I…come in?”  Hoseok asks unsurely.

            “Sure, sure,” Hyunwoo nods, signaling the older to come in. Hoseok hesitantly walks inside the room. He sits down on Hyunwoo’s computer chair and keeps quiet. The younger starts to get worried at the older’s out-of-characterness.

            “What’s up, Hoseok?” Hyunwoo asks him.

            Hoseok seems to be thinking for a while and starts, “It’s about…Hyungwon…”

            “What about him?”

            Hoseok bites his lower lip and lowers his eyebrows, “I think…he’s avoiding me.” He sighs deeply as he rubs his eyes, “Hyungwon is avoiding me, for sure.”

            “What happened, Hoseok? Did you guys have an argument?” Hyunwoo asks, concerned. This really doesn’t sound good. The last time Hoseok and Hyungwon got into an argument, the both of them stopped talking for almost two months; that is something Hyunwoo doesn’t want to relive ever again.

            “No, no…we’re not. It’s just…” Hoseok pauses and takes a deep breath, “he’s been so distant lately. It’s so unsettling, and I don’t know what I did wrong.”

            “Have you tried asking him about it?” Hyunwoo asks again, his attention is divided between lending an ear for Hoseok to talk to and the constant vibrating of his phone; Kihyun has to wait for that reply.

            “I did, but he said it was nothing,” Hoseok replies, tears start to well up in his eyes. A mix of anger, worry, disappointment, and sadness are evident in his face.

            “Ah, jeez Hoseok – _god damn it_!” he picks up his phone irately and notices message notifications from Minhyuk; not Kihyun. He knows something is up by the way Minhyuk has sent him a series of messages. He opens and reads the messages.

            **minmung.iee:** HYUNWOO

            **minmung.iee:** HYUNWOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

            **minmung.iee:**!!!!!!!!!!????!!!11!!

            **minmung.iee:** HYUNWOO PLS REPLY THIS IS /URGENT/

            **minmung.iee:** GOD DAMN IT HYUNWOO PLS RESPOND

            **minmung.iee:** SOSOSOSOSOSOSOS

            **minmung.iee:** HYUNGWON IS SEEING ANOTHER GUY HELP!!!!!!!!

            **minmung.iee:** THIS IS NOT HOW I IMAGINED THINGS WOULD TURN OUT

            **minmung.iee:** PLS DON’T TELL HOSEOK YET HE DOESN’T KNOW

            **minmung.iee:** fuck me SIDE WAYS why are we stuck in this mess L O R D

            Hyunwoo’s heart sinks as he reads the messages. Hyungwon is seeing _someone else_ and Hoseok doesn’t know it? _Fuck me too_ , he thinks to himself. He looks at the now sniffling Hoseok. He bets Hoseok has gone through a lot these past few days, if he finds out that Hyungwon is seeing someone else…Hyunwoo doesn’t want to know what would happen.

            “Who was that, Hyunwoo?” asks Hoseok between his sniffling.

            “Oh! It’s Kihyun!” Hyunwoo quickly replies him, without thinking. _Well, shit…_

            “That cute, tiny guy from History class?” Hoseok chuckles and shakes his head, “You’ve been talking to him, eh?”

            Hyunwoo hesitantly nods, “Yeah. Just today, actually.” He gives out a nervous laugh, “I asked for his KakaoTalk ID.”

            Hoseok eyes are _sad_ now, but he forces out a smile anyway. “I hope things will go well with the both of you,” he quietly says, “You guys will make a cute couple.”

            Hyunwoo is startled by Hoseok’s words, _cute couple…yeah right_. Hoseok then stands up then walks to the door. He stands there for a moment holding the door handle, jiggling it. Hyunwoo can see that his hands start shaking.

            “Uh,” Hoseok speaks up after a while. He is about to say something but decides not to continue with it, “Thanks, Hyunwoo-ah.” His voice sounds hurt and it’s on the brink of breaking. Hoseok inhales deeply then opens the door.

            “Hoseok,” Hyunwoo calls out to him, “I think…you should really tell Hyungwon the truth.”

            Hoseok doesn’t turn around, but Hyunwoo can see that he’s smirking. “Maybe,” he simply tells the younger.

            “Before it’s too late, Hoseok,” Hyunwoo adds, his voice is firm. He doesn’t want to see his good friend gets hurt and breaks in front of him. Hyunwoo wants to help him, but Hoseok doesn’t seem to want his help. Hoseok and Hyungwon are meant for each other right? Hyunwoo thinks so, at least. But Hoseok is not doing anything about it – why? What is he so scared of?

            Hoseok only shrugs at that then he exits the room. Hyunwoo quickly types a reply for Minhyuk like his life depends on it.

            **hyunwoo.appa:** HOSEOK WAS JUST HERE

**hyunwoo.appa:** HE NOTICES THAT HYUNGWON IS AVOIDING HIM

             **hyunwoo.appa:** HOLY SHIT HYUKKIE i caNT

**hyunwoo.appa:** HE LOOKED SO SAD I WANTED TO HUG HIM

**hyunwoo.appa:** THAT /NEVER/ HAPPENED BEFORE

            **hyunwoo.appa:** WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO

            Hyunwoo sends the series of messages to Minhyuk, and Minhyuk replies as fast as lightning.

            **minmung.iee:** WE NEED TO INTERVENE OBV

            **minmung.iee:** LET ME DEVICE A PLAN

            This whole ordeal almost makes Hyunwoo forget about replying to Kihyun. He feels bad about it, and he hopes Kihyun will understand. Boy, what should he tell Kihyun? Turns out Kihyun already sent him a few messages while Hyunwoo was away.

            **yoitsyookihyun:** hello???

            **yoitsyookihyun:**????

            **yoitsyookihyun:** hyunwoo???

            **yoitsyookihyun:** omg u didn’t die right??? Pls reply!!

            Hyunwoo chuckles at Kihyun’s messages. _Isn’t he an adorable little thing?_ Aah…Kihyun is just too cute for this world, really.

            **hyunwoo.appa:** soo sorry about that and no i didn’t die at least not yet lol

            **hyunwoo.appa:** there’s a uh roommate emergency

            **yoitsyookihyun:** omg is everything alright??

            **yoitsyookihyun:** is there anything i can help u with??

            **hyunwoo.appa:** lol nothing serious really

            **hyunwoo.appa:** it’s just…my roommate hasn’t been having good days that’s all

            **yoitsyookihyun:** oh ok then thank god

            **yoitsyookihyun:** i meant thank god that it’s nothing serious

            **yoitsyookihyun:** still a bummer tho lol

            **hyunwoo.appa:** yeah lol

            **hyunwoo.appa:** anyway, our date

            (Meanwhile in Jooheon’s place, Kihyun is squealing at the word ‘our date’)

            **hyunwoo.appa:** how does next week wednesday sound? 3 pm? ok?

            **yoitsyookihyun:** that sounds great

            **hyunwoo.appa:** perfect

            **hyunwoo.appa:** well i’ll see you in class then

            **yoitsyookihyun:** see you in class :*

            **yoitsyookihyun:** i didn’t mean to send that i swear


	6. Six.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello there! i hope you're not sick of me yet lol
> 
> well this is a long chapter...
> 
> anyway, i sort of...threw in Jackson's name (sorry yall) because it was the first name that came into my mind ~~i'm really bad at coming up with new names~~. he will be mentioned a few times through out the story...but that's it haha
> 
> updates will be slow from this point on guys, sorry :( college works have been catching up with me and i can't neglect them anymore TT but i'll still write something, don't worry!
> 
> anyway, as usual, thank you for reading this story!! i'm so glad that people actually like this. aah your supports and kind words mean a lot! i'm already thinking of making a spin-off (or two, it depends lol) of this story. idk tho, would you guys like a spin-off?
> 
> kudos and comments are very much appreciated!!

**minmung.iee:** meet me before class

            **minmung.iee:** so pls come early so we’ll have time to talk

            **minmung.iee:** i know ur awake now so get ur ass over here asap

            Those are the messages that Hyunwoo receives first thing in the morning as soon as he wakes up. Minhyuk knows his sleeping schedule so well it scares him. So, Hyunwoo does exactly as what Minhyuk has ordered him to do. Sometimes he wonders maybe Minhyuk is the one running his life…wonder how that started.

            After he’s ready, he gets out of his room to find a plate of a stack of warm pancakes on the kitchen counter with a note next to it; it’s from Hoseok. “I gotta run early today. I made extra pancakes for you. See ya in class later,” the note reads. Hyunwoo doesn’t have a good feeling about this. He takes out his phone and texts Minhyuk back.

            **hyunwoo.appa:** hoseok is not at home

            **hyunwoo.appa:** he said he “gotta run early”

            **hyunwoo.appa:** and he MADE ME PANCAKES hyukkie

            **hyunwoo.appa:** MADE ME PANCAKES HOLY SHIT THIS NEVER HAPPENED MAN

            **hyunwoo.appa:** unbelievable

            **minmung.iee:** god damn it hoseok

 **minmung.iee:** i have a bad feeling about this man

 **minmung.iee:** i’ll try to call him

            Despite his worry, Hyunwoo still eats the pancakes that Hoseok has made for him. It’s a nice gesture, especially – _especially_ from Hoseok. He has his suspicion, that maybe Hoseok laced the pancakes with poison but he doesn’t want to waste good food. If he dies after eating them, then yes Hoseok did poison the pancakes.

            Ten minutes later, Hyunwoo is still alive and kicking, and he’s walking towards Minhyuk who is standing by the window, looking outside; a worried look is clear on his face.

            “Yo,” Hyunwoo greets him, putting his hand on Minhyuk shoulder.

            “Hey,” is Minhyuk’s only response. He keeps on staring outside the window; he’s watching something so intently.

            “What’s up?” Hyunwoo asks him.

             Minhyuk points at a spot with his chin. Hyunwoo follows at the direction and spots Hyungwon outside, an unknown black haired male – they can’t really make out the face of the person – is linking their arms together. It is clear that Hyungwon is trying to force a smile at the other male. He is then being dragged by the guy to the direction of the library. And then, they are out of Hyunwoo and Minhyuk’s sight. Hyungwon will not be attending class, then…

             Hyunwoo can only helplessly watch Hyungwon and the unknown guy walk away. He just can’t imagine how Hoseok would react if he saw this, and he thanks God that Hoseok is not here with them now. He’s so disappointed and angry at Hyungwon right now – _how could Hyungwon do this to Hoseok? And Hoseok is still so clueless at the whole thing_.

            “The guy is an international student, or so I’ve heard,” Minhyuk finally speaks out, “and I’m glad Hoseok is not here to see this.” Minhyuk shares the same thought as Hyunwoo. He wonders how Minhyuk got this information.

            “What’s his name?” Hyunwoo asks, still has his gaze out the window.

            “He goes by Jackson, from what people told me,” Minhyuk replies. After a while, he deeply sighs and turns to face Hyunwoo, “So, I talked to Hyungwon.”

             Hyunwoo raises his eyebrows, surprised, “And?”

            “Basically, if Hoseok doesn’t do anything about this, he’ll…really leave,” Minhyuk says sadly, “That poor boy has waited long enough for Hoseok, man. I sort of understand that…”

            “Then, why isn’t _he_ doing anything about this?” Hyunwoo retorts, raising his voice, “This is not fair for Hoseok!”

            “He _did_ try, Hyunwoo-ah. He sacrificed a lot of things for Hoseok, I’ve seen it. He gave Hoseok everything but Hoseok didn’t reciprocate to any of it. For Hyungwon, this seems to be a one-sided thing, and he’s tired, Hyunwoo,” explains Minhyuk.

             Hyunwoo groans at Minhyuk’s words. But what Minhyuk told him is true; Hoseok rarely shows his affection towards Hyungwon; it’s almost as if he’s been lying about being in love with Hyungwon. Despite all that, it wouldn’t hurt to see Hoseok put some effort. If Hyunwoo was Hyungwon, he’d probably get tired too – _probably_. Hyunwoo just shrugs at Minhyuk.

            “And…this should be no surprise, I mean, with what is going on, but I couldn’t get a hold of Hoseok’s phone,” says Minhyuk a-matter-of-factly.

            Hyunwoo just nods, already expecting it. The both of them believe that Hoseok will come around, eventually. Then, the both of them enter the auditorium together.

            It’s History, and that means Kihyun will be here. And much to his delight, Kihyun is already seated at his usual spot slumped in his seat. But as soon as he sees Hyunwoo, he perks up; he tries to smooth out his shirt and hair, and gives Hyunwoo a hopeful smile. His cheeks turn slightly red. _Ah, this guy is just impossible_.

            Hyunwoo can’t help but smile at the sight and decides to ditch Minhyuk and sit together with Kihyun – he really wants to get close with Kihyun; he can almost smell Kihyun’s vanilla scent in his nose. Just when Hyunwoo is about to climb the stairs to go to Kihyun’s spot, Minhyuk holds his hand. Hyunwoo turns to him annoyed when Minhyuk gestures towards the door with his head. Hyunwoo turns towards the door and see Hoseok coming in; his clothes are drenched in sweat.

            “Hey,” Hoseok weakly greets his two friends, ignoring weird stares from the rest of the class.

            “Where have you been? I tried calling you and you didn’t pick up,” Minhyuk asks him worriedly as Hoseok sits down on their usual spot.

            “I went for a run,” answers Hoseok short. He does look like he went for a run, though – minus his tracking suit and running shoes. He also doesn’t have his backpack with him.

            Hyunwoo and Minhyuk understand not to pester Hoseok anymore. So, they just sit down on their seat quietly. Hyunwoo briefly turns to look at Kihyun who is now half frowning at him. Hyunwoo only mouths a ‘sorry’ at him before deciding to text Kihyun instead.

 **hyunwoo.appa:** hey

 **hyunwoo.appa:** i wanted to sit with u but i cant…

 **hyunwoo.appa:** sorry :(

 **yoitsyookihyun:** its okay…

 **yoitsyookihyun:** what happened tho??

 **hyunwoo.appa:** well hoseok over here (the one that just got in) is my roommate

 **yoitsyookihyun:** oh so ur hot guy friend with the sexy lips is ur roommate

 **yoitsyookihyun:** okay

 **hyunwoo.appa:** omg not u too

 **yoitsyookihyun:** i’m just stating fact

 **yoitsyookihyun:** don’t worry ur hot too but with less sexy lips

 **yoitsyookihyun:** continue

            Hyunwoo snorts at Kihyun’s message. For someone who easily gets flustered around him, Kihyun is getting pretty bold at this. Hyunwoo takes a quick glance and sees the red on Kihyun’s cheeks has spread all over his face and to his ears. _Thought so_.

 **hyunwoo.appa:** ur face is red

 **yoitsyookihyun:** i said continue

 **hyunwoo.appa:** lol ok

 **hyunwoo.appa:** so hoseok is not being himself lately and he needs moral support

 **hyunwoo.appa:** i want to be with him in time of need

 **yoitsyookihyun:** i understand

 **yoitsyookihyun:** does it have anything to do with ur tall handsome brunette friend?

 **hyunwoo.appa:** lol u can tell??

 **yoitsyookihyun:** i haven’t seen the two of them together lately

 **hyunwoo.appa:** yeah…

 **yoitsyookihyun:** thought so

 **yoitsyookihyun:** so i’m guessing ull b with him during lunch too then? :(

 **hyunwoo.appa:** that’s right

 **yoitsyookihyun:** bummer…

 **hyunwoo.appa:** i’ll make it up to you ok? ;)

 **yoitsyookihyun:** ok stop with the winky face omg

            Hyunwoo snorts again. He turns around to see an already embarrassed Kihyun; his red face is buried under his arms. Hyunwoo finds it amusing how he has _that_ effect on Kihyun. And Hyunwoo finds himself craving for more of that.

***

            The three males sit at the lunch table in the cafeteria in silence. Hyunwoo and Minhyuk are eating their _kimchi bokgeumbap_ , and Hoseok blankly stares at his half-eaten bowl of _ramyeon_ while sighing deeply every once in a while.

            “He really didn’t show up,” Hoseok speaks up, his voice is shaking. Tears are already welling up in his eyes, “I couldn’t even find him this morning. I just…wanted to talk.”

             “You went to look for him?” Minhyuk cautiously asks him.

             Hoseok slowly nods in response. Minhyuk knowingly looks at Hyunwoo. _‘He must have missed Hyungwon going to the library’_ , it tries to tell Hyunwoo. He nods at Minhyuk understandingly.

             “I’m tired. I’m gonna go home,” says Hoseok low under his breath, almost in a whisper. He gets up, takes his food tray, and leaves.

             “I’m gonna make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid,” says Minhyuk, “and I know how much you wanted to be with Kihyun, so I’ll let you go for now. But please…don’t do _this_ same mistake.” Minhyuk then gets up and follows Hoseok.

            Hyunwoo smiles at Minhyuk’s kind gesture. In the midst of all this, Minhyuk still thinks of Hyunwoo. Minhyuk is really a wonderful friend… Hyunwoo makes a mental note to help Minhyuk out later on that day. Hyunwoo looks around the now almost empty cafeteria for Kihyun; he’s nowhere to be seen. He’s probably already off to his next class. Maybe Hyunwoo should just wait for Kihyun to be finished with his class…or Hyunwoo can go straight to Kihyun’s class and crash it. He opts for the latter; Hyunwoo will be able to find Kihyun with the help of the red string, anyway. Hyunwoo mentally applauds at his own genius.

            Hyunwoo exits the cafeteria and follows the red string. The string leads him across the campus’s courtyard, to the other side of the university complex. Then the string leads him to one of the faculty buildings; the Media Communication building. He doesn’t know Kihyun is a Media Communication student; well it’s not like he ever asked Kihyun before. He climbs up a flight of stairs and he sees that the string leads him to a studio of some sort – it’s a Media Communication thing.

            He stands outside of the studio and tries to take a peek of the inside; there are not that many people in the room, and it seems like the class hasn’t started yet. He spots Kihyun sitting in one of the desktop computers in the back of the room, together with his two friends. One of them – the one who seems to wear hats almost every time Hyunwoo sees him (it’s Jooheon) – notices Hyunwoo standing outside the studio. He secretly winks at Hyunwoo and signals Hyunwoo to come in; Kihyun is not aware of any of it.

            Hyunwoo slips inside the studio and creeps behind Kihyun; he silently leans into the back of Kihyun’s ear and blows at it. Kihyun screams and jumps on his seat then he turns around. As soon as he notices Hyunwoo, his face instantly turns red.

            “Y-you scared me!” Kihyun gasps putting his hand on his beating chest. His two friends laugh at Kihyun’s reaction.

            “Sorry about that,” he snickers giving a thumb up at Jooheon, which Jooheon returns it with another wink.

            “Oh! Uh…meet my friends, Jooheon and Changkyun,” introduces Kihyun as he points at Jooheon and Changkyun who are giving each other a knowing look.

            Hyunwoo bows and introduces himself, “Ah, and I’m –“

            “Hyunwoo,” continues Jooheon with a sly grin on his face, “We know.” Kihyun only shoots the younger boy a look and they just snicker at him.

            The both of them nod at each other then stand up of their seats. “Well, we’re going to leave you two alone now,” says Changkyung sheepishly as he gives a nudge on Kihyun’s arm.

            “W-where are you two going?!” asks Kihyun a little panicky. Jooheon and Changkyun only sigh at him. Jooheon puts his hand on Kihyun’s shoulder.

            “We’re just going to find another computer to work with,” Jooheon replies him, “this working station has gotten a little…crowded.” Jooheon then turns to grin at Hyunwoo who is now awkwardly standing there blushing. Then Jooheon and Changkyun go to find an empty working station.

            “S-sorry about t-that,” mumbles Kihyun. He lowers his head in embarrassment.

            “It’s fine. They seem fun to hang out with,” Hyunwoo laughs softly, “And besides, isn’t it good that we finally have time to talk to each other in person?”

             Kihyun shoots his head up to look at Hyunwoo – _ah,_ _that vanilla scent again_. He really can’t believe what he’s hearing right now. “Y-you are?” he asks unsurely. Kihyun looks at him with eyes that are almost begging – like a puppy wanting a pat on the head. Why is Kihyun looking at him like that? _Thump_.

             “Yeah, I mean…we’ve only talked on KakaoTalk. We never really had a _real_ conversation after uh that day,” says Hyunwoo. Why does he feel nervous all of a sudden? _Thump_ , there it is again.

             “That’s true,” Kihyun smiles sweetly at him; his cheeks puff up when he does that. Hyunwoo has to give everything he’s got to resist himself from pinching Kihyun’s cheeks. Must resist. _Must resist, Hyunwoo-ah_.

             “What class is this?” he asks Kihyun, trying to distract himself from whatever it is he’s feeling right now.

             “Well, technically I don’t have a class now,” replies Kihyun, “I’m here to use the computer to finish my project. It’s a uh…a video project.”

             Hyunwoo nods understand. No wonder there are not many people in the room. He looks around and sees people doing the same thing as what Kihyun is doing. “Has anyone ever tried to look up porn with these computers?” he asks curiously, more to himself.

             Kihyun only laughs at that – _thump_. “No, at least on my knowledge,” answers Kihyun. “Why don’t you sit down? My neck is starting to get sore from looking up at you,” he offers Hyunwoo, cringing as he rubs the back of his neck.

             Hyunwoo complies and sits down on the chair next to Kihyun. Kihyun doesn’t squirm anymore and is not as flustered as before around Hyunwoo now. It’s nice to know that he’s starting to get comfortable near Hyunwoo, but there’s…something else that Hyunwoo hasn’t quite get yet.

             “What are you doing here?” he asks Hyunwoo curiously; those begging eyes present again. _There it is! There’s that look again!_

             For a while, Hyunwoo is lost in those eyes; he’s just staring deeply into them until he realizes what he was doing. “Ah! Um…I thought I wanted to make it up to you, for not sitting with you during class just now,” he tells Kihyun. Kihyun keeps looking at him with _those_ eyes, and it’s Hyunwoo’s turn to blush. _Why?_

             “Right. You did say that,” Kihyun giggles at him, “How did you find me, though?”

 _Oh no,_ Hyunwoo can’t possibly tell Kihyun about the red string – not yet. ”Instinct,” replies Hyunwoo simply with a wink.

             “You have good instinct,” says Kihyun shyly. He turns away from Hyunwoo to face the computer screen, continue whatever he’s doing with it. Hyunwoo notices the small smile forming in his lips that is followed by a slight blush on his cheeks. And you know what? Hyunwoo can’t take it anymore.

             Whatever self-control Hyunwoo claimed to have earlier, is being thrown out of the window. He pinches Kihyun’s cheek lightly and witnesses as Kihyun’s eyes widen and his mouth agapes. Kihyun turns a deep shade of red, and all Hyunwoo can do is watches him getting flustered all over again. Hyunwoo feels the string around his finger is tied tighter than it was before. Wonder what that means…

 

 

            “How are they acting like a couple already?” Jooheon asks in disbelief, his voice low as not to attract Kihyun’s attention.

            “I can’t believe how _perfect_ they are together,” says Changkyun as the both of them watch the interaction between Hyunwoo and Kihyun.

            “There’s no denying it,” adds Jooheon, “they’re meant to be. I can feel it.”

***

            And so the hours pass by, without Hyunwoo and Kihyun realizing it, it’s already 6 pm and it’s time for them to pack up and leave – the security guard who was making the round told them to leave because he had to close up. So they pack their stuff up and do a last check just in case they’ve missed something. Once they’re done, they walk out to the university courtyard together.

            Jooheon and Changkyun ditched him and left early. Their justification was so Kihyun ‘can spend more time with ur future boi lol’ – to quote what Jooheon texted him when he and Changkyun left. They didn’t even say goodbye; they just upped and left him. Rude. But he couldn’t thank them enough; if they hadn’t done that, _this_ – walking together with Hyunwoo – wouldn’t have happened.

            “Thanks for staying and accompanying me through that torture,” Kihyun tells Hyunwoo as they walk side-by-side towards the campus gate.

            “No problem,” replies Hyunwoo. “And thanks for not kicking me out and showing me a glimpse of the Media Communication life,” he jokes.

            “You’re welcome,” Kihyun laughs, “Next time, though, a simple text would suffice.”

            “I will make sure of that,” Hyunwoo chuckles.

            They reach the campus gate and (unfortunately) they have to leave on their own separate directions. “I’ll be going this way,” Kihyun tells him as he gestures to the direction of the university dorms, with a small frown on his face.

            “And I’ll be going this way,” Hyunwoo responds pointing to the direction of the town – he lives in an apartment just a few blocks away from the university complex.

            There’s silence between the two males; neither want to leave each other, but neither have anything to say to make the other stay. They just stare at each other for a moment, and Hyunwoo sees _that_ look in Kihyun’s eyes again; this time it’s even more evident.

            “Well then,” Hyunwoo finally speaks up, “I’ll see you later…I guess.”

            Kihyun slowly nods at him. Hyunwoo hesitantly turns around to leave when suddenly Kihyun calls out to him, “Hyunwoo-ah!”

            Hyunwoo quickly turns around, secretly glad that Kihyun called his name, “Yeah?”

            “I can’t wait for Wednesday,” Kihyun simply tells him. He gives Hyunwoo a smile then leaves. Before Hyunwoo knows it, Kihyun is already out of his sight.

            Hyunwoo watches as Kihyun walks further away and the string between them grows in length. He smiles and mutters to himself, “Me too.”

***

            Minhyuk greets Hyunwoo as soon as he enters his apartment. Minhyuk is staring at his phone so intently, he sighs deeply then puts his phone aside, and slumps himself down on the couch. “Took you long enough,” he snorts at Hyunwoo.

            “Sorry,” Hyunwoo smiles at him, “Have you eaten? I brought some bento boxes.”

            “Good. I’m starving,” Minhyuk takes one bento box from the plastic bag that Hyunwoo hands him.

            “How’s he doing?” Hyunwoo asks as he opens his bento box.

            “Barely holding up,” replies Minhyuk, “He started crying once we got home, and he sort of cried himself to sleep. Poor guy…we’re gonna need to do something about this.”

            “Sorry you had to deal with it alone,” says Hyunwoo apologetically.

            “I hope that was all worth it,” Minhyuk responds teasingly.

            “It definitely was,” Hyunwoo grins as he scoops up some rice with his chopsticks.

            “Man, you owe me one.”

             Hyunwoo snickers at him. Don’t worry, Minhyuk…Hyunwoo _definitely_ owes you more than one.


	7. Seven.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i know i told you guys on the last update that the chapters would be a bit slow, but i felt bad for not posting anything so here ya go haha assignments are still catching up with me and i'm trying ~~my best~~ to survive
> 
> this is short-ish, just to fill up the gap in between my absence
> 
> i am joining the first ever Monsta X fanfic bingo that will be held by monstaxfanfic.tumblr.com next month! and i am so excited!! so don't worry, there will be more works from me~ ;)
> 
> oh! anyone on tumblr can follow me (ghearardway.tumblr.com) and drop me a message or two!! i only reblog stuff though lol it's really a mess.....
> 
> anyway, i hope you enjoy this update! thank you all for the kudos and the lovely comments! and as always, they are very much appreciated! happy weekend yall!

         Honestly, Wednesday can’t come any sooner for Hyunwoo, although it’s just a few hours away. He wants – no, _needs_ to see Kihyun again, as soon as possible. Ever since that day when they hung out at Kihyun’s faculty building, Hyunwoo has been craving for more of Kihyun; his smile, his voice, his scent, and his eyes… _oh, his beautiful, beautiful eye_ – those eyes that begged at Hyunwoo for _something_ that Hyunwoo still can’t decipher until now. Hyunwoo wonders what that look meant; was it a heat-of-the-moment kind of look? Or does it hold something…more? Well, he’s going to have to wait and see for himself. Maybe, Kihyun will reveal more of it later during their…“date”.

         All he can think about right now is Kihyun and he yearns for him. It’s funny how he was scared about the whole thing at first, and now he just can’t have enough of Kihyun. Ridiculous..what was he even thinking? “I wish I could see him,” Hyunwoo mutters to himself as he stares at the ceiling.

         Who is he even kidding? Of course he can! He knows roughly where Kihyun lives and the red string will lead him to Kihyun’s exact building. Silly Hyunwoo...why didn’t he think of this earlier? If he had, he would have more time to spend with Kihyun. He gets up and gets his jacket and his wallet, the leaves his apartment.

         The sky is clear tonight – the best kind of night, honestly. Hyunwoo can see the stars clearly and a few constellations scattered here and there. The moon is perfectly round tonight; its soft light shines the earth serenely, and the wind gently brushes against his skin. He can hear the faint whirring soundof cars from the distant – the main road is located a few miles from the area. The shops that are usually bright and lively are now looking dark and silent; this area has become a ghost town, for the remaining of the night. Hyunwoo feels he needs to go and take a walk more at night; it’s undoubtedly beautiful and calming. _Aah…_

         Without realizing it, Hyunwoo already reaches the courtyard of the dorms. There are three building around him and the string leads him to the one in the middle. He follows it to the entrance of the building only to be met by a couple of those fancy automated gates that requires access cards to get pass. Hyunwoo groans – of course the building _has_ automated gates. For security! Duh…

         Hyunwoo takes out his phone and checks the time: 12:05 am. Hyunwoo decides to send a message to Kihyun and hopes that he is still awake to meet him outside.

**hyunwoo.appa:** kihyun-ah~~

**hyunwoo.appa:** u awake?

          Only a few seconds after that, he receives a reply from Kihyun. Well, Hyunwoo is in luck tonight, it seems. Hyunwoo sighs in relief.

**yoitsyookihyun:** hi!!

**yoitsyookihyun:** wiiiide awake

**yoitsyookihyun:** whats up?

**hyunwoo.appa:** ok so this is going to sound creepy

**hyunwoo.appa:** but i’m outside ur dorm building rn

**hyunwoo.appa:** would u come and meet me pls??

          Hyunwoo doesn’t get a reply from Kihyun for a while and he thinks Kihyun has probably fallen asleep. He shrugs then decides to leave; it is late. Who in their wildest mind would visit his crush – ooh, _crush_ – at an ungodly hour like this?

          “You – _hah_ – need to stop coming unannounced,” Kihyun calls out to him, gasping for air; it seems like he’s been running.

          “I like surprising you,” Hyunwoo says teasingly, half-smiling at the sight of Kihyun gasping for air in a pair of pyjamas pants and an oversized white T-shirt. His hair is a mess and he is wearing a pair of black-rimmed glasses; something that Hyunwoo has just found out on the spot. _So, this is Kihyun at home_ ; Hyunwoo is delighted at what he sees.

          “The least I could do is to look presentable,” Kihyun huffs, his cheeks puff up.

          “Well, I’m liking what I see,” replies Hyunwoo. Kihyun’s eyes widen behind those glasses; he is secretly grateful that the glasses partially cover the red that begins to spread all over his face. And there’s silence between the two; Kihyun is trying to regain his composure, and Hyunwoo is intently watching Kihyun.

           After a while, Kihyun clears his throat. “How did you know which building I stay in?” he asks Hyunwoo, suspiciously.

           “Like you said,” replies Hyunwoo, “I have good instinct.”

           Another silence falls between them, but now they are watching each other. After a while, Hyunwoo speaks up. “Why don’t we go for a walk?” he suggests Kihyun. Kihyun nods then walks over to Hyunwoo to follow him.

           “I never realized how beautiful this area is at night,” Hyunwoo speaks up as he looks up at tha sky. The stars are blinking softly every now and then; winking teasingly at the earth.

           “Me neither,” adds Kihyun. “I didn’t really like taking night walks,” he giggles.

           “Yeah, same,” Hyunwoo responds. “I didn’t really like it either until, well, tonight,” he innocently adds.

            Kihyun’s heart swells hearing those words from Hyunwoo. To think that Hyunwoo has started to like night walks because of Kihyun is probably the best thing he has ever heard in his life. This almost sounds like Hyunwoo enjoys Kihyun’s presence – probably the closest thing Kihyun will ever get to a love confession. Kihyun can’t hold back the smile on his lips anymore.

            After a while of walking, they decide to go to a nearby park and sit down on the swings. Kihyun fits perfectly on one, while Hyunwoo struggles to even sit down on it. Kihyun laughs at Hyunwoo who finally settles with sitting on the ground next to a lightly swinging Kihyun. Hyunwoo thinks this suits Kihyun very well; Kihyun siting on the swing, his feet barely touch the ground. Very childlike – very…Kihyun-ish.

            “Say, why…did you come over? I mean, we _are_ going to meet later, anyway,” Kihyun asks hopefully. He lightly swings both of his legs to ease his nervous self.

            “I just wanted to see you, I guess? Do I sound too eager?” Hyunwoo chuckles in response. He smiles widely, turning both of his eyes into crescents that could actually compete with the moon above them. He looks up at Kihyun, his deep, dark eyes look straight into Kihyun.

            Kihyun lowers his head to hide his blushing face then shakes his head slowly. For a while, Hyunwoo only watches Kihyun, not saying a word. This makes Kihyun’s stomach flips and is filled with fluttering butterflies.

            “Do you think people are physically connected to each other, Kihyun-ah?” asks Hyunwoo. He looks down at the now short string that is linking them together – the string that somehow is still visible only to Hyunwoo. The red string glistens under the moonlight.

            Kihyun hums, thinking for a while. “Well, I do think so,” he says, “I mean, you suddenly started talking to me is prove enough right?”. Kihyun realizes what he has just said and quickly adds, “And how we ended up knowing each other more and all.”

            Hyunwoo laughs at his answer, “Yeah, that’s true.” He looks up and asks again, “How about soul mates? Do you believe in that…concept? How two people are connected with each other?”

            “Probably,” answers Kihyun, “What I do know is that some people are meant to be in our lives, in one way or another. But I also believe that some doesn’t last forever.”

            “What do you mean?”

            “I’d like to believe that people are connected with some sort of…string. And I think relationships, just like string, are very – um fragile, I guess? Some will last, and some will break if they are not taken care of,” explains Kihyun, “It takes effort too, you know? Even if they are soul mates, it’s nothing more than words if none shows any effort to maintain that.”

            “Wow. That’s a pretty…beautiful answer,” responds Hyunwoo as he chuckles. Kihyun’s answer reminds him of Hyungwon and Hoseok. Maybe that’s what is happening between them right now; Hyungwon one sided effort is not being reciprocated by Hoseok, prompting the other to leave. This whole thing makes sense now. Maybe the red string that is connecting two people together is merely a guidance instead of a lifetime contract. Hyunwoo looks down at his – no, _their_ string and suddenly feels something heavy weighing on him. He then looks up to face Kihyun who is now staring wondrously at the sky, and he feels somber; he understands now. He realizes that he doesn’t want the string between them to break; he wants to be with Kihyun, no doubt about that. If it’s not Kihyun, it’s not good. Kihyun is for him, he is for Kihyun, and he intends to keep it that way as long as he lives.

            “Do you…do you believe that we’re connected with that string, Kihyun-ah?” asks Hyunwoo, his voice is low.

            Kihyun looks down at him, caught off guard by the question. He watches Hyunwoo’s face and his look softens. “Well, why else would we be here if we’re not, Hyunwoo-ah?” he asks Hyunwoo back, smiling at him.

            They sit in comfortable silence for a while, just smiling at each other and watching the stars and the moon in the night sky until Hyunwoo suggests the both of them should head back. They walk back to Kihyun’s dorm side by side, closer in distance than they were before. At one point, Kihyun starts to shiver because of the night breeze and Hyunwoo drapes his jacket over his body. Kihyun can smell Hyunwoo’s scent – musky, just like how he’s always imagined it. He records and stores that information in his mind, so he won’t ever forget it.

            And so both Hyunwoo and Kihyun start to like night strolls a whole lot more ever since; especially when they have each other by their sides.

 

            “Did he seriously give you his jacket?!” Jooheon asks him in disbelief over the phone.

            “He did, yes,” Kihyun answers with a wide grin on his face “He smells musky, my favorite”. He knows that Jooheon will not be able to handle this information.

            “ _How are you guys not married yet?_ ” asks Jooheon again, emphasizing his every words.

            Kihyun only laughs in response to that as he inhales Hyunwoo’s scent every once in a while. And the question now is whether he should wash it for Hyunwoo before he returns it, or never return it at all?


	8. Eight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLO I AM BACK AGAIN!!!
> 
> I'm finally done with all my school work and managed to get a well deserved break until i get to do my final year thesis next month haha. as for now, _I AM FREE_  
>  so to compensate for the time i was away, i'm giving you a rather long update hehe. i hope this is as how you expect it to be (or better lol)
> 
> anyway, i hope you enjoy this one! and thank you so much for the kudos and lovely comments~  
> and as always, they are very much appreciated!

            Rest assured that neither Hyunwoo nor Kihyun got a wink of sleep that night. They just couldn’t wait for the time of their date. Hyunwoo tried to plan out what to ask Kihyun about the assignment (it is a ‘study’ date, after all) just to not make the whole thing look too suspicious; Kihyun was planning out his outfit – and after much thoughts, he settled with wearing Hyunwoo’s jacket just because. Hyunwoo would probably find it weird, but Kihyun has started not to care much about that. Being wrapped in Hyunwoo’s piece of clothing is the safest thing to ever happen to Kihyun.

            Kihyun suggested meeting up at a coffee shop just outside the back entrance of their campus, and Hyunwoo agreed. He’s happy as long as he gets to spend the time with Kihyun. Kihyun also mentioned that the place is a tiny, quiet place with not many people coming by. That pleases Hyunwoo even more; that means he gets to spend some _private_ time with Kihyun.

            “Are you really wearing my jacket right now?” Hyunwoo laughs at Kihyun as soon as Kihyun approaches him, asking in disbelief. Kihyun comes later that day for their scheduled meeting wearing Hyunwoo’s jacket; it’s oversized and it almost swallows Kihyun whole. Hyunwoo is just in awe on how _extremely_ adorable and sexy KIhyun is wearing his jacket. _Uh-oh..._

            Kihyun just smiles cheekily and hums in response.

            “I’m guessing I won’t be having it back then?” Hyunwoo asks again, somehow amused by that fact.

            “Nope,” Kihyun giggles, “It’s nice, and warm, and it smells like you.”

            Hyunwoo is caught off guard by Kihyun’s reply and, most importantly, his sudden confidence. He follows along. “You know, you smell like vanilla,” Hyunwoo tells the other boy teasingly.

            Kihyun giggles again as he takes out his laptop and his book, blushing a little bit. “Well,” he replies, “You sort of smell like cinnamon. And I…like cinnamon.” Kihyun tries to bite back the smile forming in his lips as he busies himself with his stuff.

            Hyunwoo feels like screaming. _Did Kihyun really just say that??_ His face is getting warmer and warmer, his heart is beating faster and faster, and he feels his smile getting wider and wider. He feels the red string tightens around his finger and when he turns to look at it, it seems like it gets more defined. He follows the string up to Kihyun’s pinky finger. _Ah_ , his skin looks so…inviting; so smooth, so soft…Hyunwoo reaches his hand and –

            “What…are you doing?” asks Kihyun, half smiling at Hyunwoo.

            Hyunwoo has unconsciously reached out and touched the top of Kihyun’s palm, gently caressing it. Once he realizes it, he quickly pulls his hand away and takes out his laptop and his book. Much to their relief, the waiter comes to their rescue to take their order.

            “I’ll have an ice Americano please,” Hyunwoo tells the waiter.

            “Hmm…I think I’ll have a cinnamon ice coffee,” says Kihyun. “I like cinnamon,” he then adds cheekily. Was that even necessary?

            Hyunwoo chokes when he hears Kihyun’s order. He coughs for a while and evens his breathing to stop the coughing. Once he’s stopped coughing, he gazes at Kihyun who is now smirking. He gives Hyunwoo a teasing wink.

            _Nicely done, Kihyun. Nicely done…You’ve got me this time._

***

            To everyone’s surprised, their ‘study’ date actually turns out rather productive; Kihyun is doing his final proofreading on his report, and Hyunwoo is finishing up on his fourth page. No one – not even Kihyun thought that they would do any work today. Amazing…maybe they both can use this as an excuse to have another date next time (not that they need one in the first place anyway).

            “Kihyun-ah, would you please check if what I’ve written is good enough or not?” asks Hyunwoo.

            Kihyun gets off of his seat then leans in towards Hyunwoo’s laptop screen. He scrolls down and reads Hyunwoo’s report. Kihyun is too close that Hyunwoo can feel his hair tickling his ear. Kihyun’s vanilla scent lingers in Hyunwoo’s nose; he really can get used to this.

            After a moment of humming and nodding, Kihyun approves it. “Everything looks good,” Kihyun tells him. Then (to Hyunwoo’s dismay) he returns back to his seat.

            Hyunwoo feels his phone vibrates. He takes it out of his pocket and sees that Minhyuk is calling him, and he also sees that there are 7 missed call notifications from Minhyuk. He didn’t know Minhyuk was calling him; he must have been so focused on doing his report (or on Kihyun) to not feel the phone vibrated in his pocket. Minhyuk is going to be so pissed at him.

            He hesitantly picks up the call and braces himself for the shitstorm he’s about to face, “Hello…?”

            “YO WHAT THE FUCK DIDN’T YOU PICK UP?!” yells Minhyuk as soon as Hyunwoo answers the phone, “WHAT’S THE USE OF HAVING A PHONE THEN?!”

            “I’m doing my work with Kihyun. I told you about it, didn’t I?” he answers Minhyuk.

            “Fine! You did…Whatever…Anyway, we’ve got an EMERGENCY!” Minhyuk tells him, he’s starting to sound panicked.

            “What kind of emergency?!” asks Hyunwoo, he too starts to get worried.

            “Hoseok-Hyungwon kind of emergency!!”

            Hyunwoo sighs exasperatedly, “What happened to them _now_?”

            “Shit’s about to hit the fan, Hyunwoo! Where are you now? Can I come over? I’m coming over,” says Minhyuk rapidly, “Don’t go anywhere, I’ll be right over!” Then Minhyuk hangs up.

            Hyunwoo can only stares at his phone in confusion; he didn’t even get the chance to tell Minhyuk where he is, how will Minhyuk find him then? He looks at Kihyun who seems to be worried after the phone call.

            “Is everything alright?” he asks, blinking his eyes.

            Hyunwoo shrugs at him, “I sure hope so. My friend…told me he’s going to come over…? I’m not sure how, though. I didn’t even tell him where we are –”

            Before Hyunwoo can finish his sentence, he hears the shop door swings open. When he turns around, he finds the all too familiar blond boy entering the café. His breathing is rapid, and there are drops of sweat running down his face; it looks like he’s been running.

            “Wow…that was…fast,” is all Hyunwoo can say.

            Minhyuk scans the place to find Hyunwoo and when he does, he quickly approaches their table. He pulls out a chair next to Hyunwoo without hesitation and sits down, catching his breath.

            “How in the world did you find me?” Hyunwoo asks in amusement.

            “I got lucky. I didn’t know you were here,” replies Minhyuk as he pours water into an empty glass. He quickly gulps it down before continuing, “Anyway – Oh, hey Kihyun! Sorry for coming unannounced.”

            Kihyun gives Minhyuk a confused smile in return then turns to Hyunwoo to explain to him who Minhyuk is.

            “Ah…this is Min –”

            “Lee Minhyuk, Hyunwoo’s best pal. I’m in two of your classes. I rarely come to class so that’s probably why you don’t know me,” Minhyuk introduces himself, interjecting Hyunwoo’s sentence.

            Kihyun slowly nods understand. “You guys seem to have the same habit; showing up spontaneously,” he chuckles.

            “Yeah, Hyunwoo got that from me,” Minhyuk retorts. “Anyway, about Hoseok and Hyungwon…” he continues, turning serious all of the sudden.

            “What about them?” Hyunwoo asks lazily, a little irritated by the fact that this issue sort of ruins the mood of his ‘study’ date with Kihyun.

            “Hoseok is finally going to tell him,” Minhyuk starts to get jittery, “Hoseok is finally going to tell Hyungwon his feeling today!”

            Hyunwoo is surprised at what he’s just heard, “W-what?! How come he never told me about it?!”

            “He knew you’d be unavailable today, so he didn’t tell you – he told me this morning,” replies Minhyuk.

            “Well, isn’t that good thing? He’ll finally let Hyungwon know about his feeling then the both of them can finally live happily ever after,” says Hyunwoo, feeling a little relieved at this information.

            “Oh, you wish!” Minhyuk groans. “The thing is Hyungwon is on a date with this Jackson dude and none of us knows where he is!” Minhyuk nervously bites his thumb, “And Hoseok is looking for him as we speak!”

            Hyunwoo understands how _bad_ this situation is. If Hoseok finds out that Hyungwon is seeing somebody else, Hoseok is going to be extremely devastated. Neither Hyunwoo nor Minhyuk know what would happen then, and they definitely don’t want to find out.

            “Then we need to find him before Hoseok does!” suggests Hyunwoo.

            “I know but…what about Kihyun here? Are you going to leave him just like that?” Minhyuk asks him concerned.

            Hyunwoo almost forgets ( _why_ , Hyunwoo??) that he’s on a date with Kihyun. He turns to Kihyun who is intently watching the two boys’ conversation. “I-I’m sorry it has turned out like this. It’s just that…” he apologizes to the seemingly clueless boy.

            “It’s okay! I understand! Well…I could help too, you know,” Kihyun replies sincerely, “I mean, it’s better with more people, right?”

            Hyunwoo smiles at how considerate Kihyun is. He unconsciously reaches out and holds Kihyun’s hand again, a little longer than necessary. The both of them then pack their stuff up while Minhyuk watches out of the window just in case Hyunwon walks by from his direction.

            Then something seems to have caught Kihyun’s eyes. “Uh, guys…?” he calls the other two.

            “What?”

            “Isn’t that…your handsome brunette friend over there?” asks Kihyun as he points at the direction behind Hyunwoo and Minhyuk.

            The both of them turn around and are surprised to see Hyungwon in the café. He has just entered the place with that Jackson dude. Hyunwoo and Minhyuk turn to look at each other, panic is clear in their face.

            Hyungwon and Jackson then sit down at a table at the back corner of the place, pretty hidden from outside view. Hyunwoo and Minhyuk think that this is a good thing; this way, Hoseok won’t be able to find Hyungwon easily. The two best friends and Kihyun watch the couple for a long while from their table; it seems like Hyungwon doesn’t notice their presence. Jackson then reaches out to touch Hyungwon arm, in which Hyungwon doesn’t brush off. This doesn’t settle right for Hyunwoo; he is fuming at the sight.

            “Should we talk some sense back to him?” Hyunwoo asks under gritted teeth.

            “No,” answers Minhyuk as he puts his hand on Hyunwoo’s shoulder, “This is not the time to be making a scene. We could attract attention, and attention means Hoseok coming. We don’t want that.”

            Hyunwoo sighs in frustration. He shuts his eyes up and clenches his fists. Kihyun notices his frustration and anger, so he reaches out to hold Hyunwoo’s hand and traces little circle on top of his palm. Hyunwoo relaxes by the gesture then he takes a deep breath and gently smiles.

            “WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?!” suddenly Hyunwoo hears a familiar voice shouting inside the café. _Oh fuck, this can’t be good_ , he thinks to himself. He quickly turns around to see Hoseok already standing in the middle of the café, facing Hyungwon’s direction. His eyes are wide and his face turns a deep shade of red. Hyungwon looks at the blond in horror.

            Minhyuk jumps into the scene. He tries to grab Hoseok’s arm and pull him out of the place, but Hoseok doesn’t budge; he watches as his whole world comes crumbling down; he watches as the love of his life tramples at his hopes and dreams; and everybody in the room watches as the light in his eyes disappears.

            “I-I can explain, Hoseok…” Hyungwon slowly walks towards Hoseok. His eyes are full of regrets and shame. _How could I do this to him?_ , the look in his face implies.

            “Why, Hyungwon…? _Why_ …?” Hoseok asks him, his voice is breaking. A single tear drops from the corner of his eye.

            “I’m so sorry, Hoseok…Please, let me – let me explain this…” pleads Hyungwon, tears have also started to form in his eyes.

            Hoseok only shakes his head slowly and closes his eyes as more tears start to fall from his eyes. “It’s all my fault. _It’s all my fault…_ I’m sorry…” and with that Hosoek turns around and runs out of the café. Hyungwon runs after him, leaving a confused Jackson at the table.

            “We should go after them!” exclaims Hyunwoo to Minhyuk who stands there looking out of the window.

            “No, Hyunwoo-ah. Let them deal with this on their own,” Minhyuk sighs, “I think it’s time for them to face each other. They can’t run away forever.”

            Hyunwoo grunts at Minhyuk’s answer, but he understands what he means by that. Hoseok and Hyungwon need to start telling each other the truth, and, as harsh as it sounds, this is probably the best way for them to do it. Hyunwoo walks back to his table where Kihyun is watching sympathetically.

            “So…this was the ‘emergency’ that you mentioned to me that day?” he asks Hyunwoo.

            Hyunwoo slowly nods at him, “Yeah…”

            Kihyun hums. “Don’t worry,” he says, “I have a feeling they’ll amend things between them.”

            “Oh? What makes you say that?”

            “I think they’re connected by a string,” answers Kihyun with a smile, “Much like you and me.”

            Hyunwoo smiles widely hearing Kihyun’s words. He playfully nudges Kihyun’s nose and chuckles, “I believe so too.”

 

            Minhyuk sees the still confused Jackson sitting at the table. The poor boy doesn’t know what is going on and he doesn’t know what to do. Minhyuk feels bad about him then he walks up to him.

            “You’re Jackson, right?” Minhyuk asks the boy.

            Jackson quickly nods in response.

            “Why don’t you go home? Go get some sleep? Hyungwon is not coming back,” Minhyuk tells the other.

            “B-but, I haven’t paid…” Jackson mutters as he looks down at his hands.

            “It’s okay. I’ll pay for everything. You’ve gone through a lot,” Minhyuk replies.

            Jackson looks up at him and gives a grateful smile, and after that he’s gone. Minhyuk sighs deeply then goes on to pay for Jackson and Hyungwon’s order. “Self-reminder: ask Hyungwon to pay back for his overpriced coffee,” he notes to himself.


	9. End.

            Hyunwoo and Kihyun sit in silence for a long time after what happened earlier. Minhyuk decided to leave first and went to look for Hoseok and Hyungwon – his best guess was Hoseok and Hyunwoo’s shared apartment, so there’s where he’s heading. Hyunwoo feels bad that Kihyun had to witness that whole Hoseok and Hyungwon situation unfolding.

            “I’m sorry you had to see that,” Hyunwoo speaks up in an apologizing tone.

            “You don’t need to. I mean, it was only a matter of time that Hoseok would find Hyungwon. It’s not your fault,” says Kihyun reassuringly with a sincere smile.

            “I wish I could’ve done something to prevent that,” mutters Hyunwoo, “They are both my best friends, and seeing them like this…sort of makes me feel useless.”

            Kihyun sighs at Hyunwoo. “I think what Minhyuk said earlier was right, Hyunwoo-ah. This is a matter that they _themselves_ have to settle. There’s nothing you could do about it to begin with. So there’s no need for you to feel guilty about this, okay?” Kihyun reassures him. “Now, why don’t we go and take a walk at the park? The weather looks nice outside,” suggests Kihyun. Hyunwoo nods then Kihyun grabs Hyunwoo by the hand and drags him to the park.

            “You wanted to go on the swing, right?” Hyunwoo chuckles as he is being dragged by the smaller boy. Kihyun only laughs in response and continues leading Hyunwoo. Hyunwoo watches the smaller in delight as he drags him along gleefully.

            Much to Kihyun’s disappointment, the playground is filled with children and the swings are all occupied. Kihyun pouts and huffs, puffing both his cheeks. He shoves his hands inside the pocket of the jacket that he’s wearing then stomps his foot. Hyunwoo laughs as he watches Kihyun’s childish demeanor; Hyunwoo thinks Kihyun could actually pass as a child himself, being tiny and all (not to mention, adorable too).

            Hyunwoo ruffles Kihyun hair playfully. “Let’s look for a place to sit, okay?” he tells Kihyun. Hyunwoo then takes the younger’s hand out of his jacket pocket then gently holds it, then the both of them start to walk hand in hand.

            “This feels nice, don’t you think so?” asks Hyunwoo as he looks around for a place to sit down. That is meant to be more of a statement than an actual question; Hyunwoo is just thinking out loud, really.

            Kihyun looks down at their hands and smiles – this is more than Kihyun could ever ask for. Not too long ago, Kihyun could only watch the person he likes from afar, and now they are here holding hands. To be honest, he doesn’t know what Hyunwoo’s real intention of doing this with him, but it’s…fine. To Kihyun, this is more than enough. To be able to talk with Hyunwoo, to be able to text Hyunwoo, to be able to spend time with Hyunwoo, to be a part of Hyunwoo’s life…those are more than enough. Though, Kihyun can’t help but to feel…sad. He knows that he still can go on like this, but…why does his chest hurt so much? Why is it so hard for him to breathe?

            Being with Kihyun is fun, Hyunwoo feels; it’s even more fun than being Minhyuk (he can’t let Minhyuk know about this or he’s dead). Hyunwoo enjoys having Kihyun with him; he feels oddly comfortable around the younger boy and every time Kihyun smiles, he smiles too; his heart swells every time he hears Kihyun laughs; Hyunwoo’s days seem brighter now that there’s Kihyun. When Hyunwoo looks at Kihyun, all he sees is…happiness. _Oh, so that’s how it is. I get it now._

            Hyunwoo finally finds an empty bench in a less crowded area of the park. He leads Kihyun to the bench and the both of them sit down. Hyunwoo sighs in content as he watches his surroundings, “Ah…today is a good day. We should get ice cream later.”

            “Yeah, we should,” Kihyun replies, a small sad smile is visible. It’s not obvious enough that Hyunwoo almost misses it.

            Knowing something is up, Hyunwoo asks him, “What’s on your mind?”

            Kihyun sighs deeply and shakes his head. “Nothing,” he answers briefly. Hyunwoo can hear the hesitation in his voice; he’s not buying it.

            “Come on, you can tell me. What is it?” he asks again as he playfully nudges Kihyun’s soft cheek.

            Kihyun scrunches his nose and giggles at Hyunwoo’s action, his cheek turning slightly red. “It’s going to ruin the mood if I tell you,” Kihyun says shyly.

            “Honestly, there’s nothing in this world that can ruin _this_ mood,” Hyunwoo replies with a chuckle. Kihyun playfully punches Hyunwoo’s arm in response. Hyunwoo laughs, “So, you can tell me anything.”

            Kihyun stares at Hyunwoo for a while. That longing look that Hyunwoo saw on that day is present again, but it quickly changes to that of sadness. Kihyun turns away and gazes into the distance, “Then it’s probably best to tell you this now.”

            But Kihyun stays silent for a while, watching the sun that is slowly going down on the horizon; the sky is a wonderful shade of orange and pink, and there is almost no cloud in the sky. Hyunwoo gulps at the suspense, scared of the things that might come out of Kihyun’s mouth; probably something that really _could_ ruin this.

            “I like you, Hyunwoo. A lot. I’ve liked you for a while now,” Kihyun finally speaks up. He closes his eyes to feel the wind gently blowing on his face, caressing his cheek. “And spending time with you like this is _more_ than I could ask for,” he continues. He inhales deeply and slowly opens his eyes, watching the sun as it slowly begins to set in the horizon, “This whole thing is just too good to be true for me. Too good that sometimes I can’t distinguish it from a dream. What did I do in my past life to deserve this, really?”

            Kihyun stops for a while, his breathing is starting to shake and tears start to well up in his dark brown eyes. “But what if…what if this is really just a dream? What if one day I wake up and everything else is gone? You and _this_ …?” he continues, “What if it’s worse than that? That this is all just a joke for you? Or that I look too much into things? That I’ve gotten my hopes high for nothing?” Kihyun can’t hold back the tears in his eyes anymore; he closes his eyes shut and start sobbing.

            Seeing Kihyun cries breaks Hyunwoo’s heart. He never realized that he has hurt Kihyun in the most unimaginable way possible. Hyunwoo feels horrible about himself – _aren’t you a stupid one, Hyunwoo._ Suddenly, the string around Hyunwoo’s finger tightens again and tugs at it a little harder than usual. Kihyun’s confession is probably his cue to come clean about the whole thing, starting from the very beginning; and of course, to also come clean about how he truly feels about Kihyun.

            “You’re probably not going to believe what I’m about to tell you but,” says Hyunwoo, “please, hear me out.”

            Kihyun wipes off his tears and slowly nods.

            “I don’t know if you’ve heard of this before but there’s this thing called ‘the red string of fate’,” Hyunwoo starts, “Legend has it that everyone’s pinky finger is tied to an invisible red string that will lead them to another person with whom they will make history together.

            “So…one morning, I woke up and noticed there’s a red string tied around my pinky finger. I tried to find the end to it, but I couldn’t find it. It was so long; it went on and on and _on_ – it even went all the way out of the front door. I thought Hoseok was pulling a prank on me, so I confronted him but he denied it and told me he couldn’t see the red string. I thought _I_ was imagining things – turned out I was the only one who could see it – then I decided to follow it.

            “I followed it and it led me to…you. The string led me to you; without it, I wouldn’t have noticed you in that class; without it, _this_ whole thing wouldn’t have happened. I didn’t know what it meant until Minhyuk told me, since I’m too dense for this kind of thing,” he laughs at himself. He hears Kihyun giggles at him too, and that’s a good sign so Hyunwoo continues, “Once I found out what this meant, I had a hard time figuring things out…”

            The sky is a beautiful shade of amber now as the sun setting half way through – probably an inappropriate setting for such a somber moment. “I was confused, you know? Not sure if _this_ thing was real to begin with; not sure of how to approach you; not sure of the future. More than that, I was scared. What if things didn’t work out? What if I ended up hurting you? Or you ended up hurting me?

            “But after getting to know you and getting to spend time with you, my feelings for you have started to become real. I’m willing to go through everything. I feel if it’s with you, I’m fine with it. I want to be the one who makes you happy; I want to be the one who protects you from all the bad things in this world; I want to be together with you, always.

            “I’m still not sure how things will go from here, but I’m willing to find that out together with you…if you’re up for it,” he takes Kihyun’s hand onto his and gently squeezes it, “Minhyuk told me to go at my own pace, and so I am.”

            Hyunwoo looks up and sees that Kihyun is crying again. He almost panics until he hears Kihyun chuckles in between his sobbing, “I’m so happy. I’ve never been this happy in my life before.”

            The amber light from the setting sun shines Kihyun’s face in the most magnificent glow Hyunwoo has ever since in his life. The view in front of him is just breathtakingly beautiful and he hopes to God that he can see this moment again more in the future. He intertwines their fingers together as he wipes off the tears from Kihyun eyes with his free hand. And with that, the last of the light is gone and night time comes; the street lights in the park start to light up one by one.

            “I want to get that ice cream now,” demands Kihyun, hiccupping every now and then.

            Hyunwoo laughs at the younger’s request, “Isn’t it too late for ice cream?”

            “It’s never too late for ice cream!” Kihyun retorts like a child.

            “Fine, fine. We’ll get it after dinner okay?” suggests Hyunwoo as he pulls Kihyun into his embrace.

            Hyunwoo can feel Kihyun nods against his chest and a deep sigh coming out from the younger boy. Kihyun inhales Hyunwoo’s scent deeply; he’s never liked cinnamon this much before in his life.

 

 

            “Oh my god, not you too…” says Minhyuk in disbelief from the couch in the living room when he sees Hyunwoo and Kihyun enter Hyunwoo’s apartment hand in hand. Kihyun told Hyunwoo that he wanted to check up on Hoseok after the whole Hyungwon incident, so Hyunwoo took him home. The both of them are as surprised to see Minhyuk still there.

            “What?” Hyunwoo asks confused at Minhyuk’s reaction.

            “So…are you guys official now?” Minhyuk asks as he eyes the both of them.

            “Yeah, I guess we are,” Hyunwoo answers with a big smile on his face, happy and proud at the same time.

            “I’m just glad you guys aren’t as dense as those idiots,” Minhyuk retorts rolling his eyes as he gestures towards Wonho’s bedroom with his head.

            “Oh, how are they?” Kihyun asks.

            “Why don’t you go see for yourself?” Minhyuk smirks and continues scrolling down his phone.

            Hyunwoo and Kihyun slowly open Hoseok’s bedroom door to see Hoseok and Hyunwon sound asleep in Hoseok’s bed, embracing each other; all smiles and happy. Hyunwoo and Kihyun are so glad that they’ve managed to settle things between them. All’s well that ends well, right?

            “Are they still full clothed? If they’re not, I’m getting the hell out of here!” says Minhyuk from across the living room. “I swear to _God_ , if I end up growing up sad and alone I’m blaming these bastards,” he mutters to himself. Don’t worry Minhyuk, there _is_ someone for you ;)

 

** THE END **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaaaaand that's the last chapter for this story! honestly i never thought that this story would get this long omg and i never thought it would get this many response haha. i'm so glad that yall enjoy this ~~train wreck ~~~~~~story. and also thank you so much for the incredible support!!
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> but don't worry (?) i'm actually planning a spin off of this story but i'm not sure when i'll get around to do it haha what do you think?
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> and for those who care, i'm joining the monsta x fanfic bingo!! so there will be more works from me, definitely hehe. so please anticipate!!


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